Silence
by LibbyWrites
Summary: Amy lived in silence. Being profoundly deaf, this was easy to do and she liked it that way. She certainly had no intentions of getting mixed up in an adventure to save Middle Earth. So what should she do when she finds all her choices in the hands of characters from a book? Classic 10th walker and LegolasxOC but hopefully a little unpredictable.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Silence.

Silence.

Silence was all she knew.

Amy had been profoundly deaf since birth, and had no comprehension of the world of sound. At the age of 24 she had given up using her hearing aids as she was sure they no longer made any difference. Despite the obvious challenges she faced on a day to day she did not especially mind being deaf. How could you miss something you never had? No everything was fine, she was happy.

Of course she was.

Currently, however, there was a rather annoying inconvenience threatening her whole comfortable existence. The dishwasher in her flat had broken and the repair technician was not due until tomorrow. She sat at her breakfast bar torn between carrying on with her book or tackling the mounting pile of dishes with the classic sink and hands method.

Her cat, Thomas, stalked the kitchen worktops and seemed to turn his nose up at the abandoned crockery, sneering almost at Amy. She sneered back but, with a frustrated sigh, she resigned herself to washing up the old fashioned way. If she did not do it soon the kitchen would soon be overwhelmed with dirty bowls and utensils; and Thomas would probably move out. Although, perhaps that was not such a bad thing. They had never exactly seen eye to eye ever since she had been lumbered with him.

Thomas seemed pleased, however, when she started filling up the washing up bowl and purred pleasantly to himself as he languidly stretched out where a large mixing bowl had been. She eyed the fat grey cat suspiciously; he seemed in far too good a mood for her liking. Normally he would have not even seen fit to grace her with his presence, except at feeding time. He must be up to something, she thought, but turned her attention back to the mounting dishes and running water.

The problem was not so much that she did not wash up often enough, but rather that she loved to bake. She baked daily; in fact, baking was how she made her living. She made celebration cakes for just about any occasion but mostly for weddings. She enjoyed creating something out of people ideas, and giving them something they loved as the end product. She had built up a good reputation in North London where she lived, and was not short of clients wanting her cakes. She shared a small commercial kitchen with another baker down the road, but her flat was where she did all her experimenting.

She had made it halfway through the washing up when her doorbell rang. The spotlights installed in each of the rooms of her flat flashed brightly informing her that someone was at the door. Drying off her hands, she headed to the door checking the spy hole before opening it up.

" _I am early, I know."_ Chris smiled gently as he signed.

Amy just nodded in response and gestured to the teacloth in her hand whilst beckoning him in.

" _Still not got the dishwasher fixed?"_ Chris' sign language was the best of any hearing person she knew. Chris's wife was deaf so had obviously been teaching him since they had met.

Amy shook her head in response to the question. _"Well you know how fond I am of washing up."_

" _I will wait until you are ready okay. I am in no rush."_ Chris sat down on the couch in the living room and began to fiddle with the remote control for the television. Thomas deposited himself with a thud on Chris' lap and was rewarded with a tickle behind his ear.

" _Thank you."_ Amy returned to the kitchen and threw the teacloth down on the side and hunted for her shopping list. Chris came every Saturday morning to give her a lift to the wholesalers across town. With the amount she bought there for her cakes it made it impossible to take public transport, she had become reliant on the favour. She had met Chris' wife through the local deaf club which she used to attend.

She had recently thought about returning to the deaf club but always thought better of it in the end. They were awful gossips there, and Chris and his wife Katie were about the only two she could still bear.

She grabbed her coat and shoes and joined Chris on the sofa whilst doing up the laces on her trainers. He turned to face her before signing. _"Katie said you are not able to come to our party next week."_

Amy wondered how long it would it before he brought that up. _"Sorry, I am busy."_

" _Doing what?"_

" _I have got a wedding the next day. I will need to get the cake finished and boxed up."_

" _Surely that does not take all night."_

Amy shrugged knowing that Chris was not about to let it drop.

" _When was the last time you hung out with your friends huh?!"_ The gestures of his signing became stiffer to show his frustration.

" _I am really busy okay,"_ Amy stood and pulled on her coat.

" _Well if you are not going to answer I can tell you. It was about four years ago!"_ His hands moved rapidly.

" _I know what you are going to say. Please just drop it so we can go shopping."_

" _Fine fine, I will drop it, but only if you agree to come. At least show your face."_

She folded her arms over her chest in defiance but could not hold out for long _. "Katie put you up to this didn't she?"_ When Chris just smiled in response she had no choice but relent _. "I will come, just for a bit."_

Chris smiled _. "Let's go then."_

Just as Amy was shutting the door Thomas slunk out and meowed her loudly as if telling her off for attempting to lock him in. She sighed at him but decided if he wanted to run riot on the streets of London then so be it. Chris and she were halfway down the steps from her first floor flat when Thomas decided to weave his way between her legs. The movement threw her off balance, which being deaf was not that great anyway, and she pitched forward. She held her breath certain she was about to land square on her face and break her neck when she felt Chris grab hold of her round the waist.

" _That was close!"_ He signed after getting her back on her two feet. _"That cat of yours is a pain in the ass. I don't know why you keep him!"_ He did know why she kept him but kept his smile plastered on his face.

Thomas merely hissed at them both and sat squarely in the centre of the stairwell bringing up a paw to lick at it nonchalantly.

Amy managed to sign once she had composed herself and the sick feeling that had risen in her stomach subsided. _"That cat will be the death of me."_

The journey to the wholesalers went by quickly, however the journey back was slow and anything but silent for Chris who had Radio One blaring and was punctuating the music with colourful language in response to central London traffic at the weekend. Amy could not help but grin as she lip read the less than favourable words spilling from his mouth. Her hand on the seat could feel every beat of the song emptying from the speakers and for a second she imagined what it would be like to have sound fill your head.

Her thoughts turned back to their conversation. She had no doubt that Katie had put him up to it. Her friend had made no secret of her frustration over the last year. What did it matter if she did not want to go to parties anymore?! Everything was fine, she was fine. Why wouldn't people accept that?

Amy placed her hand firmly on the seat to concentrate of the beat of the music. She stared at the vibrations visible through her fingers and in her silent world never saw it coming.

The van hit her side of the car sending them sideways into the bus next to them. The force of the second impact sent her head flying to her left and as it connected with the glass of the passenger window her vision went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Her eyes fluttered open weakly as she slowly regained consciousness. The soft light in the room made it easier to open her eyes, although everything was slightly blurry to begin with. Within a few minutes, however, clarity came to her, and not just clarity of her sight.

There was an accident; she remembered it now, the strong jolt of the impact and the slow motion like spinning. She looked down at her body, afraid of the worst, and saw that she was stretched out on a strange bed. She felt a surge of relief, however, to see all her limbs were intact and there were no immediate ailments that stood out at her.

'Chris! Where is he?' She wondered nervously. She glanced around panic rising, hoping to see a nurse or something that she could talk to.

Everyone seemed to be rushing around and no one seemed to pay attention to the fact that she had awoken and was trying to push herself up. She took a quick inventory of her injuries and decided that the only injury must be to her head as the rest of her indeed looked find.

She reached a tentative hand up and found her head was bandaged tightly and there was a lot of padding on the left side just behind her temple. She felt tremendously tired and would have liked nothing more than to fall back asleep but her fear for Chris gnawed away at her too much and she continued to push herself up until she was sat upright despite the throbbing pain she felt.

Nurses, doctors, porters and other such medical people continued to pass her by unseeing in their own little worlds. She looked around hoping to catch someone's attention when she saw an unlikely sight. Thomas, her bloody cat Thomas, was strutting around the ward hissing at the feet of those that walked by him. What on earth was he doing here? Who let a cat into a hospital? She clicked her fingers to get his attention knowing that the signal usually meant food back at home. Instantly the fat cat looked up at her and his ugly little hissing face suddenly narrowed and eyed her with contempt. Amy scowled back at the cat and clicked her fingers again trying to get him to come over to her so she could hand him over to an orderly that could take the dratted thing away and tell her what had happened to Chris.

She thought she had finally garnered some attention when an old man bent down and tenderly picked up the irksome cat. She at first thought the old man had made a terrible mistake in picking up Thomas as usually he scratched and screeched incessantly until he was let free, but instead he purred deeply at the old man's touch. To Amy the old man looked strange as he shuffled around in what looked like a dirty grey blanket slung around him. The true peculiarity was that no one else seemed to notice him slowly wandering down the centre of the ward with a cat in his arms. It was as if he was invisible to all but her, perhaps he was a regular round here Amy thought, trying to settle a strange feeling that came over her.

The old man finally reached the opening arch that led to a corridor but before exiting he turned and looked directly at Amy. His strange grey eyes seemed to be looking at her sadly but as if reminded of himself he broke out into a wide smile, nodded gently then disappeared out of the room.

Amy did not know how long she had been staring at the archway when a nurse appeared right in front of her his brows pulled together in consternation. Amy could see his mouth moving and he seemed to be pushing her backwards to get her to lie back down but she could not help but strain against him so she could stare at the archway once more. Another nurse appeared and began to play with the tube that was sticking out of her arm.

She only then became aware of the pain that lanced through her skull with every movement and this snapped her out of her former thoughts and she looked somewhat panicky at the nurses. Confusion reigned for a few moments while the nurses spoke to her and she stared at them dumbly with widened eyes. Amy's relief came when she saw Katie, Chris' wife run in and rather brusquely shove the first nurse out the way to clasp hold of her friend's hand.

"She is deaf! Stop shouting at her!" Katie barked at the second nurse who was still commanding that Amy lie back down. Katie's voice was louder than most and sounded distinctly deaf however she had no shyness about her when wanting to be heard. This seemed to work and the two nurses stepped back and looked slightly embarrassed.

" _It is okay, you are okay. Lie back down for me."_ Katie signed quickly after releasing Amy's hand.

" _Chris, is Chris okay?"_ Amy could read the worry on her friend's face and could see that her eyes were puffy and red from crying.

" _He will be okay. A few broken bones and some other injuries but he will be okay. I think he was more annoyed about the car."_ Katie smiled weakly, it was all she could manage. When she had first seen Chris lying there with tubes trailing over him and the stark whiteness of his skin matching the sheet that was pulled over his body she felt her stomach drop, and it still had not quite recovered. Chris would be okay but she knew that he was lucky. The airbag had gone off which had minimised his injuries but the force of the impact from the side had shattered two ribs and caused a punctured lung. _"I had better go back to him, he keeps trying to take off his oxygen mask. It took me a while to find you. No one seemed to know who you were. I'll come back later okay. Get them to find you an interpreter yeah?"_

Amy just nodded as Katie rushed off again then sunk a bit deeper into her pillow. The first nurse caught her attention by patting her lightly on the hand. He mouthed sorry and was relieved when Amy smiled a little back at him.

...

Katie had to fill out most of Amy's details for her. Amy had been brought in with no identification of any kind and it was four days before the hospital arranged an interpreter so Katie had completed all the forms. The interpreter seemed like a waste of time as well as no sooner had they arrived Amy was discharged.

Although still suffering from a mild concussion there was nothing else much more the hospital could do for her and they needed the bed. She was due to go back in a week to have her stitches removed so with a quick goodbye to Katie and Chris and some guidance on what to do if any new symptoms arose Amy found herself back at the flat alone with a pile of dirty dishes.

A headache had crept into her left temple as she had to wait two hours for a locksmith to come to change the locks on her flat and give her a new set of keys. She never did find out what had happened to her handbag after the accident. The police did not seem to know or care. Once inside she gave way and slumped heavily on the sofa and just stared at the coffee table for a while not sure what to do with herself. Her whole routine had been upset and she dreaded turning on her computer to see all of the emails from customers frantic because they had not had their orders confirmed. She was relieved that she did not have any actual orders to get out for another two days so she stayed where she was and it was not long before she fell asleep, shoes still on and one arm still in her jacket.

She shifted in and out of sleep reliving the weightlessness she felt in the accident, then with a jolt as if something had shaken her, she was wide awake. She raised her hands to her face to try and wipe the sleep away from her eyes and found that her face was wet with tears and everything was little blurry. She half pushed herself up from the sofa wanting to get some water as her throat felt dry but she seemed to be drained of all her energy. With a bit of a struggle she managed to get herself upright but found that her foot was wedged under something warm.

She looked down and stared incredulously into the beady eyes of Thomas. 'How on earth did you get back in?' She thought. The cat had been locked out of the flat when she had left and there was no cat flap for him to come back in through. She remembered suddenly Thomas in the hospital and the old man. She had put that little incident down to her concussion playing tricks on her, but now with Thomas staring at her with what almost looked like a smirk on his feline face she was not so sure.

She kicked him off her foot and was almost satisfied when he hissed and jumped onto the coffee table feigning a great hurt. Only when she looked again at him he was not sat on the coffee table, in fact the coffee table was no longer anywhere to be seen. Instead, he sat upon a rotting log that opened up in the middle exposing vivid red and white mushrooms that had found a damp place to grow.

Amy blinked heavily but the log did not go away, and Thomas seemed completely nonplussed by his surroundings and even playfully swotted at trailing vine of vegetation that draped over the log. Amy rubbed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose and was relieved when she opened them to find the coffee table back where it should be and no trace of the log. 'Maybe it was a bit too early to leave the hospital." She thought and wondered whether she should text Katie and let her know that she was not 100%. She stopped herself though, 'She has Chris to think about.' Amy sighed and decided that an early night was probably her best bet and if she still felt peculiar in the morning she would go to the doctors.

She had made it half way across the living room when she noticed a small bird perched on her television set. It was looking around curiously paying particular attention to Thomas who was now hunched down to the ground as if attempting to stalk it. Again, the coffee table had morphed into the fallen log and this time there was a copse of trees now standing in the corner of the room where her computer had once been.

All of a sudden Thomas pounced but the bird easily avoided the fat cat and flew off. Amy thought the small creature would crash into her living room wall but it simply disappeared as if they were not there.

Dizziness washed over her and she grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself. She silently cursed the doctors at the hospital. Clearly her concussion was worse than they thought and now she was hallucinating.

She turned away and stumbled towards the direction of her bedroom. She caught hold of the door frame as she felt her legs give under her and sickness rise in her stomach. She could feel sweat running down her face now and the last thing she saw was Thomas running off into the distance and being scooped up into some unknown arms amongst the trees.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The light was pale and cold but there was a softness to it. Staring up at the ceiling she immediately became aware that she was not in her own bed and assumed that she was back in hospital. She tried to remember what had happened but the pounding in her head was distracting. She recalled being in her flat and then the hallucinations. 'I must have fainted, did someone call an ambulance?' Perhaps Katie had come by and when she got no answer had got someone to call 999.

She raised her left hand to the side of her head and found that her head was still in a bandage from the accident. With some effort she pushed herself up onto her elbows still holding her hand to her throbbing temple whilst taking a look around.

It all seemed a little strange. Perhaps that was an understatement.

The hospital ward, or what she had assumed was a hospital ward, had no walls. Instead it opened up to show an incredible vista of a great forest. Her stomach dropped.

Amy sat up then slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed, taking her time in case she had accumulated any other injuries she was not aware of. Confident that her legs were fine and could hold her weight she climbed out of bed. She did not bother to take time investigating the room instead she stepped as close as she dared to the edge. She felt the dizziness return and her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. Endless oversized trees stretched out as far as she could see; each seemingly dressed in beautiful lights that shone like stars. Wrapped around some of the trees were what she could only describe as tree houses; she figured that is what she was currently stood in from the height she was at.

Her first instinct was disbelief and a sickening feeling of fear. She stepped back, her shaking head of denial matching the shaking of her hands. What was this? A joke, more hallucinations? Maybe the NHS had been given a new budget for rehabilitation units, although despite the incredulity of the situation she knew that she was more likely to be in a fairy story than the Tories cough up some cash.

Frozen in place by shock and confusion, only her eyes moved as they desperately darted back and forth determined to see something familiar, something that based her firmly in reality. It was not until a gentle hand touched her upon her shoulder that she moved – she all but jumped out of her skin.

"I am sorry, my lady, I did not mean to startle you. I did call out to you but you did not respond."

Amy stared blankly at the man before her. She could see his mouth moving but her mind was racing too fast with new information of her surroundings to even comprehend beginning to lip read.

"You are quite safe here; you do not need to worry." He paused unknowing how to continue. She had made no sound and from the look on her face had no idea what he was saying. "Do you not speak Westron? I just assumed as you were human. Perhaps, you should lie back down, you do not look well." He offered his hand to guide her back to the bed.

He was like no man she had ever seen before. His long blonde hair seemed to glow, and his high cheekbones set off a stern yet kind look on his magnificent face. It all seemed so strange yet unsettlingly familiar. A disturbing thought entered her mind. 'Am I dead?' He certainly seemed angelic. Strangely the thought occurred to her that she always believed she would be able to hear if she made it to heaven.

Her erratic musings were interrupted when he offered his hand again in a more obvious gesture, "I will not hurt you." She looked positively terrified.

She could not just stand there and ignore him forever. She swallowed a shaky breath and extended a shaky hand finally placing it in his after what seemed like hours. His easy smile was warm and smoothed her nerves somewhat as he led her back to the bed. "My name is Rumil, I help out here at the healing chambers. I came to check on you, I am glad to see you have finally awoken. I will send for the Lady Galadriel, she has been waiting to see you. I am afraid we are all at quite amiss as to how you got here."

He gestured for her to sit which she recognised easily. Rumil sighed; she looked utterly lost and still seemed to have no comprehension of what he was saying.

He poured some water into a glass and offered it to her. She took it gratefully, as her mouth was dry and her throat sore. She sipped it, still wary of her surroundings, whilst pondering the man in front of her. Why would someone in heaven dress as if they had just come from a renaissance fayre?

'Snap out of it!' She silently scolded herself. There were only two logical reasons for this. She was in some kind of hallucinogenic coma or she had been kidnapped by...by... When thinking them through perhaps they were not very logical but it was all she had to go on now.

She looked him up and down trying to place that familiar feeling. It was as if she had memories of this place but knew that to be ridiculous, how could she have memories of a place like this? She needed that final piece of the puzzle, the small seemingly insignificant detail that would slot everything else into place. As she took a final sip of the water, that is when she saw it. He had pointed ears.

Her hands relaxed in the shock of it which sent the glass crashing to the ground smashing into many pieces on the dark wooden floor. An uncomfortable realisation had hit Amy, just as one had hit Rumil.

He had not failed to notice that she had made no reaction to the painfully loud shattering of the glass. Ignoring the broken shards he knelt before her. "You cannot hear can you?" He muttered more to himself than to her, now realising the futility of his previous words. Unsure of what to do he tried to gesture. He pointed slowly at her then shook his head whilst pointing to his left ear.

Amy could not help but follow the pointing finger to the peculiar ear. She tried to push her unsettling and frankly rather ludicrous thoughts to one side.

Focusing on his actions she could not help but raise an eyebrow. This was one gesture that she could not fail to recognise. She did not care to remember how many times she had seen the uncomfortable gesturing he was now doing when someone finally realised she was deaf.

She nodded to show her understanding and raised her right hand to her head and tapped her ear with two fingers. She mouthed the word deaf hoping he would lip read it.

Rumil smiled gently and repeated her silent word. "Deaf." He placed his hand on hers and squeezed. "I am sorry, I did not realise." He spoke slowly hoping that she would be able to understand.

She caught some of it and just smiled in response. Silence stretched out between them until Rumil finally stood. "Wait here." He said whilst raising his hands then pointing downwards, before disappearing from the room.

She sprang into action then and frantically looked round. She was not waiting anywhere. She saw the clothes she had put on this morning and began to hastily pull her jeans on whilst tugging off the pale nightgown that she had been put in. She was just pulling her t-shirt back on when Rumil walked back in. She had not realised he had returned as she struggled to pull the twisted t-shirt over her head without knocking the wound on her head, and he could not help but stare slightly at the sight of her naked stomach that disappeared into hip hugging jeans. He had never seen any of the elleths in breeches such as those. Admonishing himself he raised his eyes just in time as her head surfaced from the neck of the garment. She gasped and felt her cheeks burn, not from being seen half dressed but from being caught obviously making an attempt to leave.

Rumil smiled and held up what was in his hand attempting to break the awkward moment that had fallen between them. He held what looked like paper and an old fashioned quill.

So he wanted to communicate.

She sat back on the edge of the bed and he joined her placing the paper between them. He dipped the quill into a pot of ink that he held with his left hand, then began to write. She kept her eyes on what he was writing whilst occasionally side glancing as she sought out her trainers. She needed to get out of here.

 _My name is Rumil._

He held the quill up towards her indicating it was her turn but now all she could do was stare at that name. Rumil. The only place she had ever seen that name before was in a book. Again she had push aside the ridiculous and try and focus on a way of getting out of here.

She decided she would have to play along until an opportunity presented itself and so she took the quill.

 _My name is Amy._

Rumil smiled brightly. He tried the name on his lips. "Amy." He took the quill back and set about writing again.

 _You are safe, you do not need to worry. No harm will come to you here._

She felt some small relief at the words but still every part of her was on edge.

 _Where exactly is here?_

She wrote once she had taken the quill back. She struggled somewhat with the implement and wished desperately that she had a biro. It was going to take forever if they had to communicate like this.

 _You are in the realm of the white queen, the lady Galadriel._

Her breath was shaky as she took in the information, as more and more of his words, clothes and location fitted into place. Rumil noted her pale countenance and continued writing hoping some more information would give her some comfort.

 _My brother Haldir found you in the forest, you were in a deep sleep, we knew not if you would wake. The lady of light will be here soon, I sent word while I fetched the parchment._

He paused his writing for a while before posing a question. Should he wait for Lady Galadriel to come? He was saved from his indecision when the Lady in question appeared at the door.

He rose quickly and took his bow. "My lady, this is Amy."

Galadriel walked forward although to Amy's eyes she seemed to glide. When you are absent of one of your senses you find that the others can become heightened. For Amy it was her sight and perception, and although Galadriel had a gentle smile on her lips, Amy could see clearly that her eyes were full of suspicion. "Thank you Rumil. Welcome to Caras Galadhon Amy."

Rumil stepped forward to interject. "She is deaf my lady. She cannot hear even the loudest of noises."

"Is that so?" Another ellon stepped forward whose eyes showed greater years than Rumil's.

Amy took an unconscious step backwards feeling as if she was no longer entirely safe.

"We have been communicating by script my lord Celeborn." Rumil held up the piece of paper they had been writing on and passed it to the elder elf.

Celeborn looked to his wife and saw her intention. "Is there not another way?" He asked, although his voice seemed unconcerned.

She simply shook her head and began. _"Mae govanen Amy."_

Amy felt as if she had been punched in the head as the loud noise filled her mind. Her hands instinctively clasped her ears hoping to drown out the sound.

" _I need to know how you got here Amy and this is the easiest way to do it."_

Amy pitched forward, her brain felt as it was on fire. Rumil grabbed her before she could fall. He knew his mistress had entered her head as was her wont but he had never seen it have this effect on anyone before.

Her silence was shattered, and Amy breathed heavily and mentally she screamed back. 'Get out, get out!'

Everyone can hear their own voice in their heads, it is quiet, and flows over the brain imperceptibly filling you with your own thoughts but without intruding on the peace found in solitary. Galadriel's voice in Amy's head was like a bomb blast in the English countryside.

" _The sooner I have my answers the sooner I will leave you to your silence."_ Galadriel could see the distress and pain she was causing but this was the only way.

'Ask your questions!' Amy spat back mentally. She was on her knees now and could no longer feel Rumil's comforting arms around her.

" _How did you come to be here. You are not from our world. I can feel it."_

Is this what sound was like to everyone? How could they bear it? She did not reply, she could not form a coherent thought. Instead images flashed in her brain of Chris, cinnamon cupcakes, the van, the log, Thomas and finally her mother. When Amy's eyes met Galadriel's she knew that she had seen them too.

Galadriel pondered this information. She had seen Amy's world, she had seen deep into Amy's mind and saw her thoughts.

" _This is no hallucination child."_

Amy's mind was now filled with rage and it passed easily to the Elven queen.

" _You have no idea how you got here do you."_ Galadriel now knelt, and her entire demeanour softened.

Amy felt her body relax slightly as the voice became a whisper. She still felt an intrusion but now it was bearable. _"No...no I...'_ " Her mind whispered back haltingly.

" _You cannot continue denying that this is not reality."_ Galadriel pushed trying to delve deeper. She saw the memory then.

Amy was on her first trip abroad. It was a holiday to Rome with her mum when she was 13, and it had been the time she had read The Lord of the Rings. The story slowly started to come back to her filling her mind with its pages. Galadriel almost sprang back from her and Amy felt silence descend upon her. Her mind was her own, the elf queen had retreated. She looked up at the pale ethereal face.

Galadriel took the piece of paper from her husband and retrieved the quill from the bed. Once again she knelt before Amy and beckoned for Rumil to step back.

 _You must never speak of the content of that book. For someone to know their future will destroy the possibility of that future ever taking place_. She wrote the words quickly.

 _It is too late for me, I have seen the ending, this ending must be protected. That must be why you were sent here._

Amy shook her head. This was all happening too fast, too fast for her mind to catch up with what was happening and to fully comprehend the situation. She still was half convinced that she was going to grab her jacket and make a run for it.

She felt vibrations from the floor she knelt upon indicating that someone had moved. She looked up and saw a dishevelled man step into the room. He looked at her with a weary frown and confusion etched on his face. She saw great sorrow in his eyes.

 _This is Aragorn. I believe you know of him. You will help him in his quest._

Know of him. Of course she knew of him. Knowing full well that he was a fictional character in a book she had once read when she was a teenager. Anyone who had read that book once knew Aragorn, and here she was apparently faced with him. Despite Galadriel's earlier words she was very much content with denying that this was indeed her reality.

 _The Fellowship must not fail. I want you to keep them on their path._

The Fellowship. Amy could not help but swallow hard as an uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach. In all realms of possibility she could have never had seen this coming.

Galadriel rose with all of the grace of the eldar and turned to Aragorn. She spoke quickly to him in hushed elvish. Amy watched his face, whatever Galadriel was saying he seemed to be absorbing better than she had.

She felt light headed and nauseous, but also full of resolve. She got to her feet.

"Watch her." Celeborn directed Rumil. "I do not doubt she has every intention of trying to leave and she is most likely to damage herself in some way rather than actually succeed in escaping the Golden Wood."

"Escaping? You make it sound as if she is our prisoner my lord," Rumil felt uncomfortable.

"For now she is." And with that he left to join his wife and Aragorn who were now talking heatedly on the balcony.

"But she is no warrior, no concept of the dangers we will face; I cannot carry her across Middle Earth!" Aragorn ran a dirt encrusted hand through his hair in frustration.

"The hobbits are not warriors and yet the four have made it to this point."

"We do not even know how she got here."

"You do not know Aragorn, I have an idea although I must confess I thought…never mind." Galadriel stopped her digression and firmly looked Aragorn in the eye once more. "What she knows is too valuable to dismiss."

"And what if she dies."

"Then you carry on as before. Use her while you can."

"This all seems too impossible. Someone writes down our supposed paths and we are supposed to follow what they say!"

"Perhaps it is more likely that this human is not the first human to come from another world to ours. This scholar may also have trodden our paths." Galadriel placed a soft hand on the man's shoulder. "It has been a long and sorrowful journey, take this as a bit of light, hope. You have a guide with knowledge not even Gandalf would have had."

Aragorn sighed deeply at the wizard's name. "If this is what you recommend then I will heed to it." He looked back through the door and watched as Rumil cleared up the glass from the floor and Amy paced anxiously back and forth. "Will she heed to it though?"

….


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

She had hoped that when she opened her eyes she would be in her bed at home; she'd even take a bed in a hospital right now, but she knew just by the smell of the air that that was unlikely. She took a deep breath of the heady scent of the woods before she opened her eyes and found Rumil still stood where he last was by the door.

'Medic and prison warden.' She thought wryly. She did not blame him though; she figured it was obvious she had every intention of getting the hell out of this place.

She had stayed awake for as long as she could refusing to engage with Rumil no matter how many times he tried to offer up the quill and parchment, but in the end she had no choice but to go to sleep. Now awake she could still not tell whether it was morning or night time.

She pulled herself up so that she was sat up and reached for the paper that rested on the side table next to her. Rumil offered up the quill and ink.

This is not real.

It is real for me.

She was not expecting that.

You are a figment of my concussed imagination.

He smiled and then wrote,

That is not very polite.

She smiled despite herself. And then without wanting to or expecting it she began to cry.

Her hand began to shake so he took the quill from her.

Please do not cry. You are safe here.

Amy read the words but did not make to reply. She was not a 'crier,' she did not openly cry in front of anyone yet the shock of the past week had shredded all nerves and resolve.

Rumil continued to write.

Galadriel believes in you. You have been sent to us for a reason.

She started at this and snatched the quill startling the elf.

And what about me?! Do not I get a say? I had a life, a happy li

She stopped. Rumil noticed the change in her, the anger had dissipated and was replaced by something else. It was as if she had had a realisation of some sorts. He felt compelled to comfort her but felt that her privacy in the last twenty four hours had already been erroneously damaged so decided to push the parchment forward as a gesture of listening.

Amy stood unsteadily rejecting the hand the elf offered. She wandered over to the edge of the talen she stood upon and stared out into the distance. She was alone, utterly alone, but she realised that she had been as such for longer than she had realised.

She turned back to the elf and wrote on the parchment.

I am going mad.

Rumil smiled and took the parchment and quill from her placing it on the table and wrote.

Perhaps you need to suspend all logical thinking for a while and just accept the situation. You are safe here.

Safe, Amy did not feel very safe. All her bravado seemed to have disappeared in an instant and all she felt now was lost.

' _Thank you.'_ She signed.

Rumil raised an eyebrow but he caught the meaning.

Thank you for being kind.She wrote finally.

He smiled widely.

All elves are kind.

Amy was not quite so sure. She had thought about it for a long while and had grown to understand why Galadriel had done what she had done, but something in Amy knew she would never forgive the elven queen for invading her silence. She was not surprised at the less than kind 'elf witch' name she had earned from some.

May I check the wound on your head?

Rumil held the paper up to her to catch her attention once more.

Amy nodded and lent forward slightly allowing him to gently unwind the bandage that was round her head. His fingers were gentle as he pressed the wound lightly. It began about two inches above her left ear and run in an almost straight line forwards stopping just short of her eyebrow. He frowned at how her hair around the area had just been hacked away.

Amy watched his face as it changed from concentration to confusion then concern. He reached for the quill once more and wrote quickly.

Who did these stitches, they have used a material I am unfamiliar with?

The doctors from my world. Is something wrong?

No not wrong, it is just not what I would have done.

He walked over to a small table that had an ornately carved box on it that he opened. He rummaged around for a while before finally finding the pot he was seeking.

He held it up to Amy for her to smell and she breathed in the scent of freshly cut grass.

What is it?

It is a healing salve, it should ease some of the discomfort and speed up the healing process.

He applied it over the wound, then pulled her hair from above over it so that all that could be seen was the inch of it that run across her forehead.

Come, if you are feeling up to it you should meet the Fellowship.

Aren't a prisoner here?

Rumil made no response other than to smile once more.

'Sure why not, meet the Fellowship of the Ring.' She thought dryly at his response. Rumil dutifully fetched her shoes for her anticipating that she would not want to walk around the forest in bare feet. He smiled at their bright colour. They were unusual to his eyes and the canvas material was strange to his touch.

They are called trainers. They are comfortable.

Rumil read her words and smiled. Everything about her dress was strange to his eyes and he could not help but study her as she laced up her shoes. Her hair was long and hung messily down her back in dirty blond waves.

Her breeches were of a dark blue colour and again in a material he knew not what it was. They were tight against her thighs and hips all the way down to her ankles. Her torso was clad in a tight white, short sleeved garment and at this point Rumil forced his eyes up to her face not wanting to intrude upon her.

She had a fair face that was dominated by big grey eyes that when angered raged like stormy seas. Her lips were full and he had noticed that when unsure she would worry her bottom lip with her teeth. When her eyes met his he stopped his musings and offered up her jacket.

She held it in her hands for a moment before putting it on, somehow she had linked running away with this jacket, and now as she held it she realised there was nowhere to run. She slung it on feeling entirely unready for what she was about the experience and she had to shove her hands in her pockets to stop them trembling wildly.

Rumil held out a hand willing her to take it, hoping to put her at ease.

After a moment's hesitation she took it and allowed him to escort her down the many spiralling stairs to the base of the tree. Lest she let her mind race and nerves take over she tried to fill her mind with inane observations. The first being was how the hell anyone with a broken leg was supposed to get up to the healing chambers? She then supposed elves did not suffer much from broken legs. She tried to absorb her surroundings with interest as she guessed she should be awed but instead she was still terrified. Rumil sensed her unease and squeezed the hand he was holding gently and that was when she saw them.

Despite being strangers she recognised them immediately. The four hobbits were sat around rummaging amongst their belongings or eating contently. Gimli lay behind them sheltered by a deep tree root as he slept. Another blonde elf similar to Rumil who she assumed to be Legolas stood perfectly still as he turned his head to the boughs clearly listening to something. Aragorn approached with a lighter haired man following behind him. His scowl suggested to Amy that this was Boromir. So there they were, the Fellowship in Lothlorien recovering from the hurts of their quest so far and their sorrow from losing Gandalf.

Aragorn approached her first and took her hand. He bowed his head in respect and placed his lips the back of her hand. "Welcome. I am sorry for the distress this has caused you." None of this sat comfortably with Aragorn, especially the idea that they were to take her along with them even if it was against her will.

The obvious difficulty for the rest of the quest was immediately apparent. She did not catch much past the welcome in the way of lip reading.

Rumil quickly explained which drew interest from the Fellowship gathering them closer. All except Gimli of course, who was lost in his dreams.

"Absolutely nothing?! Not even Gimli's snoring?" Pippin asked incredulously.

"Yes nothing." Rumil explained with a smile. "It is going to make communication between you very difficult. You cannot very well write everything down, which is what I have been doing up until now."

"This idea of Galadriel's just gets better and better!" Boromir growled. Ignoring Rumil's warning look he continued. "Not only do we have to take a woman along with us but now we find that she cannot hear a thing. A great aid she will be in battle."

Amy did not need to hear Boromir to know what he was saying. It was written all over his face, and in all honesty she agreed with him.

Aragorn positioned himself in front of her blocking Boromir from her sight. "Can. you. read. my. lips?"

Back on earth she may have sniggered as she sometimes did when someone begun extending every word so that it distorted the original. But now did not seem like the right time to indulge herself, especially since she was now standing in front of the Fellowship of the Ring. She nodded.

"Can. You. Speak?"

Amy felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Her breathing changed imperceptibly to the humans and hobbits present but the two elves heard the distress. Her hands fisted and un-fisted tightly.

Legolas stepped forward and took both of her hands in his. It was obvious to him that she uncomfortable with the question so sought to change the subject; he looked deep into her eyes and held up her hands. The sudden proximity and how tactile he was threw her off guard for a moment. "You use these." It was not a question and his words were not exaggerated. She understood him.

She took her hands from his and answered in the way she knew how. _"Yes I use these."_ She signed.

He smiled gently, now fully engaged in her, no longer distracted by the laments in the boughs. "Then we must learn."

Aragorn nodded seemingly happy with this, although looking at the confused faces of the hobbits and the snarling face of Boromir he made a decision. "Legolas, can you learn this language of signs. I fear that our aptitude for this may not be as good as yours. Perhaps if it is simple enough you can teach it to the rest of us."

The elf nodded, he turned back to Amy. "Will you teach me?"

What choice did she have? Everything was now out of her control. Growing up deaf had always meant that some aspect of her life was in the control of others and that she never had complete agency but this was different. Did they really expect her to go with them? And if she was unwilling, what then. She had joked to herself that Rumil was her healer and jailer but perhaps the Fellowship would prove to really be her imprisonment.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciate it! Thank you for your suggestions as well. I won't give too much a way but it will take a bit of time for Amy to figure out what has happened.

I hope you continue to enjoy! On with the story.

Chapter Five

Rumil had suggested that she spend her nights back in the healing chambers but she declined. She no longer felt amiable to his suggestions or the suggestions of those around her, even if they seemingly were in her best interest. All she felt was mistrust and entrapment. She was going to be forced to do this thing, she knew that, so she needed to regain some kind of control. She needed all the information she could get so she would need to start as she meant to go on. She was tremendously out of the loop as it was so she was not about to disappear every night.

So, if that meant bunking down with the Fellowship in the Pavilion and teaching Legolas how to sign then so be it. She got no sleep that night however, despite her new resolve. She knew nothing about concussion and what it could do to a person, perhaps it wasn't concussion. Perhaps, the impact had caused some greater injury. Maybe she had a tumour, she remembered watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy where Issie could see and speak to her dead boyfriend because of a tumour in her brain. But why here though?

Her thoughts became plagued by the life she left behind. What if it was not a tumour? Rumil told her to suspend all logical thinking and accept her situation. But if she did that she came up with a whole new set of questions. Did her life mean so little that she could be wrenched out of it into a whole new existence? On top of that she had been watching the Fellowship and seen the sorrow in their eyes. How could she guide them? This was their world they were fighting for, for their homes. She was some strange women from another world that had no loyalty here, why would they listen to her? Even her cat did not listen to her.

Oh god the cat! He was stuck in the flat. Or was he? How did he get back into the flat in the first place? Perhaps he was a hallucination as well ever since she saw him in the hospital. Eventually she fell into a restless sleep but Thomas and the old man draped in grey continued plaguing her dreams.

When it was time to rise to meet Legolas for his first lesson she did so with a heavy heart and a weary mind.

Legolas was sat at a small table that the elves of Lorien used to take tea on. He had found some food as he noticed that Amy had touched nothing the night before.

He stood to welcome her and bowed his head. "I brought some food in case you were hungry." He gestured at the fruit platter and a small basket of breads.

" _Thank you."_ She replied putting her hand to her mouth then extending it out towards him.

Legolas copied the sign language for thank you.

"My first words." He smiled.

He set out some parchment in front of her along with the obligatory quill and ink as she picked at the fruit. She let out a frustrated sigh. This was going to take forever, but what alternative was there.

I don't know how to teach a language. Sign language is complex, it is personal, it has its own culture, there are home signs and facial movements. I live this language, I didn't learn it. Does that make sense?

She began, biting her bottom lip as the quill scratched slowly across the page.

 _How about we start with something simple._

"My name is Legolas. Nice to meet you."He spoke slowly so she could lip read.

She repeated what he had said in sign replacing his name for hers.

Legolas copied. He was glad when Aragorn had chosen him for this. He needed the distraction. Gandalf's death weighed heavily on him and Lothlorien although like a comforting balm did little to keep him occupied. And Aragorn had been right, Legolas would excel at learning this new language. He picked up languages quicker than most even surprising Gimli with a few lesser known Dwarven phrases not suitable for young ears.

He wrote on the parchment for her. Shall we start with the alphabet, that way we can always spell things to one another?

Amy nodded.

Rumil asked me to pass something onto you before we get started.

He pulled a distressed looking satchel from beneath the table and passed it to her. She knew that bag, that was her bag! She took it quickly smiling brightly for the first time since she had got here.

How?

She wrote the word quickly after all but snatching the quill from Legolas.

Haldir found it in the forest a day after he found you.

How was that possible? It was on her lap when the car had crashed and she had not seen it since. She did not know whether this helped her believe this was all a figment of her now decided upon tumour, or if indeed that nothing made sense and that she was in fact in Middle Earth.

Legolas noticed the change in her demeanour and placed a hand upon hers. He did not say anything nor try to write anything, he just gave her look that she found gave her great comfort. Elves were weird she thought to herself then.

After the moment had passed Legolas picked up the quill.

Shall we begin?

She could not help but smile conspiratorially and began to root around in her bag.

Legolas stared at the objects she pulled out of her bag with some wonder and could not help but pick up a small rectangular block that fit snugly in his hand. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

Amy smiled and took it from him.

That is not much use here.

She slid her finger across the object and all of a sudden it lit up. Legolas was startled by this suddenly uncertain of the small object.

Amy took a look at the screen and was not surprised to see that she had no signal. 'I guess O2 do not operate here.' She thought. The battery was at 10% and without a charger the phone would be dead by the end of the day. But as she had written she had little use for it here.

She turned it off and tucked it away back in the bag lest she lose her pupils attention forever and waved the biros she had found at him.

This is much better.

Legolas watched her words spill quickly onto the page from the long thin object. She offered one of them to him and he apprehensively pressed it onto the parchment. He drew a little squiggle and when satisfied he began to write.

The ink is in this small quill.

Yes, it's called a pen. Shall we start with the alphabet then?

She was astonished at how quickly he picked it up and how well he could repeat and retain the knowledge. She guessed it was some special Elven skill. By the time the sun reached its highest point in the sky he was able to spell anything out and throw in several handfuls of phrases.

Rumil arrived with his characteristic smile bringing food for the pair when they were due a break. He stayed for a while interested in the signs she was creating with her hands and could not but help feel some jealously that he was not receiving the lessons when he had to return to the healing chambers.

The second day was much harder as she tried to explain glossing, mouth patterns and the differences in constructing a sentence in sign. She found the whole process frustrating, not because Legolas found it difficult but because he seemed to absorb the information quickly and find his own logic in it. The reason this was frustrating was that she was struggling to find logic in it as she had always struggled. It was clear however, that Legolas was definitely an asker, and she struggled to give him all the answers he desired. And if she was honest she was a little out of practice, she did not do much signing these days.

But the days went on as thus as the Fellowship and Amy settled into their new routine trying to absorb as much of the peace Lorien afforded them as they could. Rumil seemed to unconsciously know what she needed and every morning she would awake to find clean clothes. After the first incident when she found a dress waiting for her she had quickly corrected him, and since then she found only breeches and tunics to wear. She was not really a dress person. Not that she didn't like them; it was more that on a day to day basis it just wasn't what she wore while baking. She was seeking any form of comfort and normality she could find. Elves and Hobbits were throwing her for six; she did not need dresses to add to that. Her jeans and t-shirt she would save for days when she felt she needed a little bit of home.

As the days stretched on her human mind became used to her new routine and slowly what had been the ridiculous had become her reality. Although, she did keep reminding herself that she must definitely have a tumour.

The formal lessons with Legolas had dissolved into random words that Legolas would want to know, he would ask by spelling them out and then quickly absorb the sign for each of them.

This is easier than I thought it would be. You are a good wrote.

Legolas smiled. _"I have a good teacher."_ His signs were slow but they were perfect.

He spelled out some of the words he could not recall or that had not been taught but attempted to sign rather than write. " _Tell me of your home_."

" _Where to start."_ She answered finally.

Legolas felt suddenly neglectful as he knew next to nothing about her. _"How do you spend your time?"_

This brought a rare smile to her face. _"I bake."_ Legolas repeated the sign for bake with a question attached to it. _"B.a.k.e."_ She spelt out. _"I make cakes for weddings mostly."_ She spelled out all the words he was unfamiliar with and showed him their signs. He diligently committed them to memory.

She did not know why but he was smiling at her. She could not help it when her stomach did a flip when faced with such a smile, although she silently admonished herself for being such a cliché. _"That sounds wonderful!"_

" _I do enjoy it."_

Her face seemed to light up when she told him about her baking and Legolas found himself studying her face. He had noticed that she was indeed beautiful by human standards the day he met her, but as an elf he was surrounded by beautiful elleths constantly so paid little heed to it. But now as he looked at her he began to notice little features that made her face more interesting than others. The dark circles under her eyes from restlessness; the slight dryness on her bottom lip where she would bite it; the constant flitting of her eyes as she tried to take in everything around her; and of course the angry pink wound that appeared out of her hairline.

Amy waited for him to respond and noticed how his eyes had darkened as he regarded her. She decided to press on. _"It is how I make my money, my job. I nearly asked what you did, but then I remembered."_

" _Yes I would not really call being a Prince a job."_ He smiled but there seemed to be some discontent on his face. Recovering from it he continued signing _. "It is strange that you know all there is to know about me and I know nothing about you."_

" _I do not know all. And anyway, there is not much to know about me."_

" _That cannot be true, every person has a history."_ He waited for a response and when none came he decided not to prolong awkwardness by pressing the topic _. "Now that I feel I can talk with you I have a question that I have wanted to ask since our first lesson."_

Amy was suddenly nervous, worried about what this question was and what she would say if she did not want to answer it _. "Go ahead."_ She signed.

Legolas picked up the biro from the table and held it up _._

" _What is this made from? I have never seen a m.a.t.e.r.i.a.l such as this."_

Amy felt the surge of release. Of all the questions he could have asked the elf was staggered by plastic!

" _It is made of plastic. P.l.a.s.t.i.c something you would not find on Middle Earth."_

" _Plastic?"_

" _Yes a lot of the things on earth are made of plastic. It can be moulded into all different types of shapes like water, but when it sets it is hard."_

" _That sounds useful."_

" _You are probably better off without it."_

… _._

Although having relaxed into her routine in Lorien she was still having trouble sleeping. She contemplated inventing the memory foam mattress for Middle-Earth but decided against it. She did not want to go around changing too much. That was a constant niggle of fear: what if she changed something by mistake. She was being forced to guide them, but what if she led them astray? Was her very being there not changing everything? Thinking of the books also made her stomach turn. It had been a long time since she last read them and many of the details eluded her. How much detail did she need to adhere to, were the big events just important to stick to? She caught herself before her mind run away with her, 'I am acting as if this is real!' She admonished herself. Yet, as time had gone on it had become easier to accept her situation as reality, and even if it was not real, it was her reality for now, so should she not begin to take it seriously. People were relying on her and that was something that did not sit well.

She sat up and rubbed her hands over her face trying to push the questions racing to the front of her mind to the back so that she could sleep. It was then that she caught a slight shuffle in the corner of her eye. Frodo had risen and was hurrying off with Sam in tow. He looked at her when he realised she had seen him and stopped abruptly.

She looked over to where they was intending to head and saw the retreating form of Galadriel. Was it time to look into her mirror? Frodo seemed to be waiting for her approval. Her stomach turned uncomfortably, here was the ring-bearer trusting her to know what steps he should take. She nodded and tipped her head towards the glade that held the mirror.

He smiled and raised his hand to his mouth and signed ' _thank you_.' She smiled in turn; and it warmed her to know Legolas had been passing her language on. Lying back down she found her head slightly clearer. Frodo may have stepped forward to take on this task but how much choice had he had. Here he was miles from home in a strange place with the world on his shoulders. Perhaps she was not so alone in her predicament and not the worse off by far.

….


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Again, thank you all so much for your reviews and comments.

Merdith – Legolas cannot do telepathy like Galadriel, so he is going to have to rely on his signing skills. It will definitely be a challenge for her going forward.

May – I can confirm that Amy will definitely be staying human. Anything beyond that I cannot give away!

Samantha – It is interesting that you should bring up what Amy would do at a celebration as that kind of scenario will be occurring in the future. Watch this space.

Kristin – Legolas is definitely going to have stick close by.

Ej101 – As to Amy's life on earth, I am afraid you are going to have to wait a while before that become clear!

Inperfection – I just really like the idea of an elf experiencing modern technology and materials! Glad you liked it.

Chapter Six

"How is she?"

"She is good, she is coping well." Legolas answered.

Aragorn nodded as he took a bite from an apple. "Good, that is good. She seems quite down sometimes though."

"I am not sure how I would cope if I had been ripped out of my world and planted in a world that is essentially alien in comparison. She is holding up well."

"She has told you then of her world."

"A little. Considering humans can fly in metal boxes I would call it very alien to Middle Earth."

"You sound almost in awed of it. It sounds terrifying to me!"

Legolas shrugged his shoulders. "It is like having a fantasy novel read to you only knowing that the words are true. Do you not find that exciting Aragorn? Knowing that somewhere out there humans have invented things that we could not dream of?!"

"Perhaps man will get around to inventing things here if the shadow is lifted from us for good." Aragorn paused as he finished the apple. "It must be so isolating not being able to talk to everyone." He pondered thinking back to Amy. "Surely she cannot get by only talking to one person in her world. I want you to cheer her up."

Legolas raised a delicate eyebrow.

"You know lift her spirits. We will leave soon by river. It is going to be tough, and if she is to guide us then we need her heart unburdened."

"I am not sure how successful I will be in cheering someone up that believes we are holding her to a course against her will."

Aragorn let out a small groan. "Please Legolas, I do not take Galadriel's advice lightly. I would not do this thing if I did not believe it was so important." He let out a gruff sigh and went to turn away. "Just do this for me please. Also, we must think about the toil on her body. Does she have the strength for the journey?"

Legolas placed a comforting hand on Aragorn's shoulder "Do not shoulder so much Aragorn, I will see what I can do. I will take care of her. You have other things burdening you; do not take on everybody's woes."

"Hannon le Legolas."

"How soon do we leave?"

"In four nights, we all must be ready. Lorien is difficult to leave."

"Aye it is." The elf turned to leave but Aragorn held out a hand to stop him.

"Legolas, has she given you any clues as to how she got here?"

"No, nothing. I must say I am intrigued though."

"Me too."

"Do you think there would be a way to reverse it? For us to step into her world."

"I hope not." Aragorn did not like the thought of traversing worlds yet he could see that Legolas' eyes had lit up at the prospect of it. "Perhaps it is best we do not know, although I am sure the Lady Galadriel knows more than she has shared with us."

"Perhaps." Echoed Legolas.

….

She knew he was being as gentle as he could but as Rumil pulled out each stitch she gritted her teeth against the pain. She was not embarrassed to admit she was a wuss when it came to pain but she stoically kept her mouth shut and blink heavily to stop her eyes watering.

Rumil gave her an apologetic smile once he was finish before applying the cool soothing balm once more to the affected area.

He gave her a thumbs up when he was finish and Amy smiled in relief. Rumil had begun to develop his own version of sign language with Amy that meant they could communicate simply whenever he fussed over her wound that was now turning into a pink scar. It was rudimentary as sign language went but it worked. Plus, the sight of an elf doing a thumbs up still amused her greatly.

With the removal of her stitches it meant that she would not need to return to the healing chambers anymore and she felt a little sad about that. The short moments she spent with Rumil were cherished for their simplicity. He never asked her any questions; he never pressed her for information; and best of all he did not remind her of the quest she was supposed to be going on.

When there were no more excuses to linger, Rumil gave her a light squeeze on the shoulder and left her to her thoughts. She was not sure how long it was before she noticed the piece of paper that had been wedged into the corner of the mirror that stood in the room. She rose and walked over to it and looked closely at the writing upon it.

Amy,

Meet me in the 'classroom' after Rumil has finished fussing with you!

Legolas

She took the paper then peered at her head. Her hair covered most of the scar now and the few inches that ran across her forehead already seemed to be growing lighter. Whatever that salve was made of, it was definitely doing the trick.

Amy made her way to the small glade Legolas and she had been having their lessons in. He was not there yet so she sat down and closed her eyes against the world and daydreamed the moments away. Despite being captive here she now knew she was in no danger but that once they left Lorien she would be faced with the harsh reality. She was going to have to fight for Middle-Earth, and she did not believe for a second that the brain tumour she had half convinced herself of would blunt the sharp edge of that.

She let her thoughts stray away from the oncoming dangers and went back into the pages of Tolkien's novels. She remembered the first time she had read about Legolas, she had heard enough about him from her mother before she had even picked up the book. Her mother was in love with the elf and swooned about him. When Amy had finally discovered him herself in Tolkien's pages she thought he was a bit dull. Her favourite character had always been Sam; and she had enjoyed spending time with him.

She was spending time with one of her favourite characters from a book complete with all the complexities of his character. Sam and Amy had struck up an unlikely friendship despite the fact that Sam really struggled with learning any sign language. He would get all in a muddle and fold his arms crossly, and Amy did not care one bit.

He would tell her stories of the Shire with Pippin and Merry jumping in randomly, and she and Frodo would listen intently. Frodo hearing them for the hundredth time, and Amy having no clue what he was saying but enjoying the expressions on his face and the freedom of his arms that added weight to the narrative.

A light touch to her shoulder told her she was no longer along and as she opened her eyes she was met with Legolas welcoming her in sign and she could not help but notice the slight mischievous look on his face. That was just it. Legolas was not dull like she found him in the book. He was full of life, deadly serious and cutting one moment; and full of life's small joys the next.

" _I thought we agreed no more lessons. You do not need anymore_. _You just need practice"_

Legolas smiled. _"I agree I do not need any more lessons in signing, but baking is another matter."_

Both Amy's eyebrows rose slowly. " _I am sorry, you want to learn to bake?!"_

" _Perhaps not learn, but I would love to see what you could make."_ He could see the hesitation on her face so decided to remove all choice in the matter. He began to back up in the direction he wanted to lead her whilst ploughing on with signing, so that she had no choice but to follow. _"I have already sorted it out with the kitchen staff, the kitchen is all yours, and I have arranged all the basics. Eggs, flour, sugar and the rest. Come on."_

She laughed. He seemed to be making up signs now words he did not know but she understood his meaning.

He took one of her hands and without waiting for an answer he pulled her after him.

When they arrived she could plainly see he had not been kidding. All the basics she could need were spread out over the wooden counters as well as an elaborately carve pair of old fashioned scales that Amy could not help but fall in love with. The weights were delicately carved bells that stacked awkwardly but because of their craftsmanship were beautiful nonetheless.

Legolas studied her reaction, the way her eyes widened to soak up the view, and how the corners of her mouth turned ever so slightly up in pleasure. He was glad that this small gesture had lightened her heart and yet he could still see the sadness in her eyes. Part of him began to wonder if the sadness was not caused by her existence in a new world but something else. Something she had brought with her from her own world.

He stopped his musings just in time for her to turn to him with a smile.

" _Thank you."_

He nodded slightly in response then raised an arm in a sweeping gesture to spur her on in getting started. She needed no extra encouragement and dropped her bag down on the counter and rolled up her sleeves.

She went through her mental recipe file whilst studying the ingredients. Whatever she was going to make it was going to be on the plain side. No mascarpone and chocolate chips here.

After the sponges and pastries she had eaten courtesy of Lothlorien she decided quickly she would not try to rival them, instead she would do something that had not reached Middle Earth yet, something she had a special ingredient for. Cookies.

She grabbed the strap of her bag and pulled it towards her. She did not have to rummage for long before feeling the glass jar hit her fingers. She pulled it out and held it in front of Legolas as if it was some great wonder of the world.

He read the label that was attached to it. "Peanut Butter." His brow knotted quizzically.

She smiled. Amy was not in the habit of carrying around peanut butter in her handbag wherever she went; be that the Post Office or Middle Earth. No, she remembered exactly how it had got there. It had been at the wholesalers and as she was typing in her chip and pin number Chris had been doing an appalling job of packing. She caught him about to balance the jar on top of the jumbo box of Free Range eggs she had bought and quickly snatched it off of him rolling her eyes as he shrugged his shoulders. Rather than attempt to put it in one of the bulging bags, and loathed to get a new bag for just one item she flipped open her roomy satchel and dropped it in there without another thought. And now here it was, that jar of peanut butter in the hands of an elf.

Legolas twisted the lid off and identified the material as plastic. He then brought the jar to his nose and took a deep sniff.

Amy enjoyed watching his face change as his senses absorbed this new substance. She gestured for him to try some and broke out into a grin when he stuck his finger in, in a childlike manner rather than retrieving a spoon.

She remembered the first time she had tasted peanut butter. She had instantly liked it, the mixture of sweetness and saltiness, and yet in a world of all manner of confectionaries she doubted her experience was the same as Legolas'.

She saw his jaw clench and unclench as his tongue manipulated the butter around his mouth. He took his time, revelling in the texture and taste. When he finally swallowed it he looked at her with some wonderment. He put the jar down partly because he needed his hands to sign but mostly because he did not trust he would not start shovelling handfuls of the stuff into his mouth.

" _Do you eat that every day?!"_

Amy shook her head with a smile on her face. _"I wish, but I am afraid if I did I don't think I would be able to lift myself out of a chair."_

" _How can you resist it?!"_

" _Good question! It is even better when you put it in cookies. C.o.o.k.i.e.s."_

Legolas raised an eyebrow in question.

" _If you help you'll see."_

Legolas was definitely not the worse sous chef she had worked with and found herself having fun getting him to do all the messy bits. It occurred to her half way through that she was bossing around a Prince who had managed to get cookie dough smeared on his tunic. A wry thought of what Prince William would say in this in situation had her smirking and she found herself having a new kind respect for the elf before her.

Everyone has a preconceived idea of what royalty would be like and Legolas shattered pretty much all of that. Of course he had the unnerving grace and eloquence you would expect and yet part of her put that down to his being an elf. It was his joy that surprised her; how he found light in such dark situations. She knew from the books that Legolas and Gandalf had known each other for years longer than she could imagine, and because of that the grief must have been felt so keenly. Yet here he was smiling brightly and eyes glittering as he copied her pressing the dough into flattened balls.

" _Now it is your turn to be in charge."_ She signed _. "I have no idea how to work that oven."_

Legolas took a long hard look at the oven and Amy could not help but study his mouth as he licked the dough off that had clung to his fingers.

" _I am afraid I will not be much use to you. Forgive my ignorance but I have never used an oven in my life."_ He looked embarrassed. _"Shameful is it not?"_

Amy shook her head with a smile, she imagined he had a way with words and she was impressed with how he managed to manipulate the signs to convey what he was feeling. _" I very much doubt the Queen back home has used an oven."_ Amy signed in reply to make him feel better.

" _I will go and get some help."_

Amy begun to tidy up some of the mess, depositing the dirty crockery in the basin. Out of nowhere an elleth appeared beside her with a kind smile as an apology for making her jump.

"Let me do that." She spoke slowly. "You have things to be getting on with."

Amy turned to Legolas who stood behind for an explanation.

" _Tianeth will take thing from here. She assures me she will see the cookies baked to perfection."_

" _Why what are we going to do?"_

" _You have taught me something, now it is my turn."_

Amy turned to Tianeth and raised flashed 10 the 2 fingers at her hoping the elleth would get her meaning. Cookies should be soft.

Intrigued, however, she left the cookies and followed Legolas out of the kitchen and into the woodland. After some time she saw his intention. Two stuffed targets sat in a glade, and lying on the floor were a bow and quiver complete with arrows.

She stopped when she saw it which Legolas did not fail to notice, especially when she raised an unimpressed eyebrow. " _You want me to shoot arrows?"_

" _Yes."_

She hesitated before signing, suddenly feeling quite nervous. _"I don't really see myself as much of a fighter."_

" _The journey is going to be long and dangerous; you must have some way of protecting yourself."_ When she said nothing he continued. _"What if we happen upon some O.r.c.s? What will you do?"_

She had tried to block out the thought of such an event happening but she knew her answer instantly. _"Run."_

Legolas could not help but smile. _"O.r.c.s run pretty fast."_

Because of her knowledge of the book she knew this to be true. _"I run pretty fast."_ As soon as she said it, she saw the challenge in his eyes. _"I like cake and I like to run."_

And to illustrate she sprang off into the forest. Legolas started after her immediately and caught her up within seconds. He could have overtaken her at any point but found that her speed was definitely faster than your average Orc. He wondered how long she could keep it up, speed was one thing but endurance was the key to survival. He looked over to her, and saw her face was relaxed if a little flushed. Although her body was engaged in hard exercise her muscles were relaxed with years of endurance training. Eventually though it caught up with her and her pace slowed but there was still energy in the tank to pace herself and show the elf that he did not need to worry about her fitness.

She had run the London marathon three times in the last four years, each year becoming successively faster. Amy could do two things well in her life, bake and run. Perhaps that is not a lot of things but she did not care. She found great joy in the two solitary pursuits and for her finding joy in something did not come easily.

She did not know how long they had been running, and she was painfully aware that Legolas had not even broken a sweat, but she felt the ache in her thighs and decided it was probably best to stop while she was ahead rather than injure herself. She slowed right down rather than coming to an abrupt stopped and took deep breaths in through her nose in a bid to get the oxygen quickly to her muscles. It had been a few weeks since she had done any serious running now so she knew she would feel this in the morning.

" _I concede, you can definitely outrun an Orc."_ Legolas signed when they finally came to a stop.

She smiled through her heavy breaths and leant back onto a tree taking some of her weight off her legs.

" _You can go tell Aragorn that I passed your fitness test."_ Legolas had the decency to look surprised. She let out a breathy laugh, the only sound the air passing through her mouth. Legolas had never heard an effectively silent laugh before and felt an urge to ask her questions about speech but stopped himself short. He remembered when he first met her how uncomfortable she became when asked just that question. Instead he asked her the more pertinent question of the moment.

" _How did you know?"_

" _You are fairly easy to lip read. I saw you and Aragorn talking and caught part of the conversation."_

"So you were eavesdropping?" He said with a smile testing out her lip reading skills.

" _I am pretty sure it is impossible for a deaf person to eavesdrop."_ She signed in return.

He laughed. _"I am sorry I was not honest with you. I did not want you think that I doubted your abilities."_

" _Trust me I am doubting my own abilities. I keep thinking any second I will wake up and I'll be home and all I have to worry about is the consistency of my frosting as opposed to the fight for Middle Earth."_

She saw the moment his face changed, from interested study a he deciphered her signs, to sharp intent. She wondered at the change and studied his face. He looked angry, she was sure of it. Elves may be masters at concealing emotion but she was master at reading them.

" _Legolas? Is everything okay?"_

" _You still do not believe this is real do you?"_

She was shocked by his question, not so much what he was asking but the abrupt signing that signalled his annoyance.

" _Well would you?! If you were dragged into my world with no explanation. Would you not think it was some strange dream!"_ She had meant the signs to be jovial as if she was joking but they came out as harsh movements as the words hit close to the mark. " _Why does it matter to you anyway whether I believe it is real? I am here aren't I? I am coming with you through no choice of my own, what more do you need?"_

" _It matters because you need to know this is real to help. Why risk your life for an imaginary world?"_

" _If it is imaginary then I cannot die."_ She countered.

" _Trust me, you can die here, and you will if you do not realise the danger you are about to put yourself in!"_

" _Put myself in! I am not putting myself in anything, I think dragged is the right word."_ She paused asan uncomfortable lump formed in her throat. It had been a long time since someone was angry at her, and despite not being able to hear she winced at the fury she could plainly see on his face and the own fury racing through her. It is strange that she took the time to notice it but she thought he looked even more magnificent when angry. She tried to rein her feelings in once more and build the wall back up. _"You think I don't care. You think I don't care about the Fellowship, about your world, about Frodo."_

" _Well what should I think? Do you not think it is insulting to be told that you are nothing but a figment of someone's imagination?"_ He stepped forward and took her hand none too gently. She gasped slightly at the contact feeling almost a fire beneath his skin. _"_ Can you not feel that this is real?" He spoke it since his hands were indisposed and knew that she understood him.

She could not answer, he held her hands tightly. She did not know if he was consciously aware of it but it was evident to her he wanted her to speak.

Moments passed as they held each other's gaze until she could bare it no longer. It had been building up for weeks now, hell it had been building up for years. The first tears had already began to fall before she realised she was crying.

Legolas pulled her to him and held her tightly, all the anger dissipated in an instant as he felt deep silent sobs rack her body. He had not meant to get angry with her, in fact it surprised him how angry he had gotten at all because she still held some doubts about where she was.

He wanted her to know he was real, that he was there for her. He had also felt an unexpected stab of pain at the thought of her waking up from her so called dream in her world and leaving his. And as he felt her in his arms he realised he had gotten too close. His head told him to back off but every other part of him screamed to hold on.

And whilst Legolas was fighting his own personal war Amy was finished fighting this particular one. It had been four years since the last time someone held her and she had fought away from close relationships since then, even with her best friends. Her best friends had only stuck around for so long afterwards, and she did not blame them, she would not want to be friends with her. Only Katie and of course Chris had kept up the pretence that everything was fine with the abject hope that one day Amy would go back to being 'human' again as Chris had once put it after a bottle of wine.

She felt great comfort in Legolas' arms but pride and embarrassment prickled and she pulled away and looked up at his face. The concern was etched all over it, but she caught something else in his eyes although could not place it. She spoke then silently so that it was his turn to lip read. "I'm sorry."

His face softened. _"You do not need to be sorry. I apologise, I overstepped the mark._ "

" _I am afraid I have been bottling that up for a while now_." She reverted back to signing after taking a step back. _"I need more time to figure this out, and I know time is short but you cannot bully me into accepting this."_

He blanched at being called a bully but he accepted it.

His first instinct was that she had been bottling up something long before her arrival here. Something in the sadness that he had seen day in and day out spoke of something before she came to Middle Earth. It came to him then that he recognised the sadness, something akin to that he had felt himself but in that moment he could not place it.

" _Legolas, I will do everything in my power to make sure I keep the Fellowship on the right path. I am frightened though. What if I do something wrong, what if I change something? I do not need to believe in this place to care what happens to it, I just need to see the effect it has on you and the others."_

" _You can only do what you believe is right. Galadriel trusts in you, I trust in you."_

She wiped her face with the back of her hands and tried a weak smile. _"Galadriel can go screw herself."_

Legolas understood the signs individually but was not aware of the meaning. Amy smirked slightly and wisely decided not to explain. " _So about those archery lessons."_

….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Four days went by in a rush, and as Amy looked out at the boats the Galadrim had given them she swallowed her nerves. She had known that it would come to this, ever since she resigned herself to her fate here. She watched as Legolas packed the boats and as Sam did a triple check of all his belongings.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. Galadriel stood before her with a soft smile gracing her face.

Amy took an apprehensive step back preparing herself for an invasion of noise, but it never came. Galadriel just nodded slowly offering what comfort and wisdom she could with just her gaze. She was convinced she was doing the right thing by sending this girl with the Fellowship, not only for Middle Earth but perhaps for the girl as well. And because she could not help herself, once the Fellowship were positioned in their boats and on their way, she brushed Amy's mind with a whisper.

'I have no gift for you other than that of advice. It is time to let go of the past young one. Good luck.'

Amy jolted as the soft sound, which to her may as well have been a loud bang, filled her head. Her startled jump tipped the boat unnervingly and if Legolas had not grabbed her and righted them, they and Gimli would have ended up in the icy river.

He secured the oars and tipped her head to face him. _"Are you okay?"_

"What's going on? We'll lose the others, get rowing laddy!" Gimli grumbled from behind.

" _I am fine, it was nothing, let's carry on."_ She tried to reassure him with a smile but could see he was not buying it. He could not afford to stay there any longer though so picked up the oars once more and resumed rowing.

"Don't be telling me you're already tired lad!" Gimli scoffed.

The wind was cold on her face as the steep cliffs either side channelized them into veritable gales. She wondered how Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir were managing to keep the boats on track. The boats to anyone would seem flimsy but she knew the skill of the elves and knew these boats would withstand trials of waves.

The safety net of Lothlorien was gone, and with it the surreal glow that made it so much easier to think one was in a fantasy. Her hands on her knees trembled. 'What am I doing?'

Panic and doubt set in quickly she could feel the grip of steely fear in her stomach. Hours went by and knots in her stomach grew. She could see that the hobbits had all fallen asleep in the other boats and she wished she could easily drift off and away out of this nightmare. As time went on she found herself dosing with her head dropping forward then springing up and she woke herself up. Legolas noticed that she was struggling and paused his rowing to gently guide her back as she drifted into the world of sleep so that she rested against his chest. That is how she stayed for many hours uncounted as the Fellowship made its way up the Anduin. She drifted in and out of sleep as the soothing repetitive movement of his body behind her rocked her back and forth.

Her eyes shot open though when she felt him tense behind her. Turning her head to look at him she saw him staring intently into the forest on the western bank. He stayed like that for a few moments before relaxing when he felt her eyes upon him. "It's nothing." He said tersely.

She turned away from him and leant back once more. He was lying, not because she could read him so easily, although she could see he was lying by his uneasy smile, but because she knew it was not nothing. She knew what was coming. She looked over to the right of them and watched Boromir drive the boat into a current as to ease the rowing. She could see the weariness on his face; it matched that of Aragorn's. She could not fathom how they had been able to row for so far and for so long.

She knew what was coming, she had tried to prepare herself for it, but how could you prepare yourself for death.

She was to keep them to the path. But did that path really require the loss of Boromir? She tried to push that thought out of her mind, she had been on the quest for no more than two days and she was already considering what she could get away with changing. But did Galadriel really expect her to allow people to die, people she could perhaps save?

She felt a hand squeeze her on the shoulder disturbing her thoughts. Legolas smiled and gestured for her to look up.

She did as he bid and felt a gasp catch in her throat. The Argonath stood before her, and no amount of description could have prepared her for their sheer enormity. It was staggering to see and her eyes widened in amazement. She felt a stirring of a memory, a feeling she had felt once before came over her. She recalled the time her mum had taken her to Southern Eygpt for her summer holidays when she was twelve and she had seen the temples of Luxor. The awe that filled her then overwhelmed her now.

Not long after they had passed through the Argonath the two men and elf directed the boats to shore.

"We rest here for the night. Tomorrow we must reach the shore of Nen Hithoel." Aragorn helped Sam out of the boat as he spoke. "Legolas, can I speak with you?"

Legolas nodded and turned to Amy signing quickly. _"Will you be okay?"_

" _I will try my best not to cause any trouble."_ She tried to smile but it quickly turned into a yawn as Legolas walked away smiling.

She settled herself with the hobbits and took some comfort in Merry and Pippin's playful banter. She did not know what it was that were fighting about but it was warming to see that they could forget about the dangers that surrounded, the dangers they were walking into. Sam sat next to her and in a gesture that brought great comfort, he patted her hand gently then offered up a small piece of Lembas bread. She smiled at him, gratefully took the bread and resumed her watching of Pippin and Merry as they playfully swatted at one another. It did something to take her mind off Legolas and Aragorn. It was obvious the ranger wanted to talk about her, she did not know it she found it unnerving or insulting that he would not talk to her face to face.

"What is wrong Aragorn? You looked troubled, more so than usual." Legolas asked once the two of them had gone some distance from the group.

"With every mile I become more troubled." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just needed to ask you something Legolas, it is not anything to worry about."

"Go on."

"I was wondering if Amy had told you anything of the future, of our future."

Legolas cocked his head to the side in a curious gesture. "No nothing."

"Good, good. It is best that we know nothing. I have been thinking about it, and the less we know the better, even with the best intentions we would destroy that possibility of a future. I cannot help but doubt the wisdom of Galadriel now that we have left the woods of Lorien."

"Do you think Galadriel sent her for another purpose?"

"I do not know, although whatever the purpose I do not believe Amy has any clearer idea than we do."

"And what if she does talk of the future or wants to tell me, or anyone for that matter?"

"Then we let her." Boromir stepped forward to answer the question. "I assume this is not a private conversation since this affects all of us." Legolas and Aragorn remained silent letting the man continue. "Why should we not use this information? Why spend countless hours deliberating, second guessing our decisions when we could just ask her?! You say you cannot make up your mind which way to go Aragorn, so ask her! I have no doubt she will say that you should head for my city!"

"Aragorn is right, we would change something by the very fact that we knew about it." Legolas reasoned.

"So we walk on blind!"

"We walk on as we would if Amy had never turned up. We make our own decisions!" Aragorn said firmly.

"Then what is the point of her being here if we are to blindly follow your decisions while the elf is privy to secrets of the future to keep him safe and sound?!"

Legolas stepped forward aggressively but Aragorn place a warning arm between them. "We are here for Frodo, do not forget that Boromir. We continue on as we are." The finality in his voice stopped all following comments and Boromir turned away with a sneer of his face.

Amy could feel the mood radiating off the three males when they returned to camp. If the hobbits and Gimli felt it too they said nothing. Whatever had been said it obviously had not raised her in Boromir's estimations as his glare often fell upon her throughout the evening.

" _So what I have done?"_ She asked Legolas fed up of being ignored. She felt as if she had been reduced to a pawn in their testosterone fuelled spat.

" _Nothing. Why do you ask?"_

" _Because Boromir looks like he wants to kill me."_

" _Do not say such things, Boromir does not want to kill you."_

" _It is just a saying; anyway do not change the subject. Why are you so quiet?"_

He sighed. _"There has been a little disagreement about a future course of action, it has been sorted now."_

She raised an eyebrow. _"Are you sure?"_

He nodded. _"You should get some sleep, we have a long stretch tomorrow if we are to keep to Aragorn's plan."_ He could not help but raise a hand and brush it gently down the side of her face. She leant into it relishing the warmth and comfort it brought, then caught herself and stood abruptly gathering her cloak around her and finding somewhere less rocky to curl up on.

Boromir noted the exchange with cold eyes. 'So the Elf thinks he has a key to future does he?'

...

Her breath caught in her mouth and a pain shot up her arm as the darkness of the night blocked her vision as much as having her eyes shut did. She struggled against what was now obvious someone grabbing her arm with one hand and clamping another over her mouth. Since flight was not an option she frantically swung her free arm at her assailant who was now dragging her roughly across the floor.

Her eyes slowly adjusted as the moonlight worked its way through the tree top and they darted around in fear. A jolt to her back and head shook her leaving her dazed but now there was no mistaking what was in front of her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Boromir's face was streaked with sweat as it had taken a surprising amount of effort to drag her from the glade into the woods without anyone knowing. He had waited until Legolas and Aragorn had taken watch in the woods before he had chosen his moment knowing full well the hobbits and the dwarf would sleep through it all.

He had not meant to throw her so violently against the tree but he had felt rage surge through him like never before. "I am going to remove my hand from your mouth now, if you scream I will hurt you. Understand?" He mouthed the words silently.

Amy read the words easily. Even if she wanted to scream she would not have been able to with his forearm jammed into her throat as it was. She nodded desperate for air and had a fleeting thought as finally he removed his hand and removed some of the pressure from her throat. Frodo had been warned of it by Gandalf and now she knew it all too well, the greatest threat came from within.

"I want you to tell me what you know?"

Before she could control it her head shook as every cell in her body rebelled against the order.

"You will tell me! You will tell me now before I make you tell me!" His arm pressed harder on her throat and she felt a sickening sensation as his other hand rested on her hip.

So flight or fight were both ruled out now. Amy always believed that she was a panicker when it came to desperate situations and yet now she felt a strange sense of clarity wash over her as she tried to find another option.

"What, what do you want to know?" Her words were silent.

"Speak goddamn it! I cannot see what you say!"

She would give him information but she would not give him that. "If you want information you had better start lip reading." She panicked as she felt him press harder at her brave words but was relieved when he backed off completely.

"Stand in the light so I can see you."

She did not really see what he had said but as he shoved her into the light she worked it out.

"What happens to the ring?"

Well she had to give him credit he did not muck around. She took a rasping breath as she rubbed a hand over her sore throat whilst she tried to get her thoughts in order. What now? She had stopped the immediate danger, but how to get to safety?

"Do you understand what you risk by knowing the future?"

She knew instantly that this was not the right thing to say as he lunged forward and grabbed her again. "Do not play with me girl! What happens to me, what happens to Gondor?!"

She did not need to hear to know that now Boromir's words were no longer silent as his hot breath spat against cheek. She just hoped that Legolas had heard it.

"The ring goes...goes to Gondor." Her voice remained silent but she hoped he had seen and believed her lie. As blackness darkened her vision she knew that she would pass out through lack of air in a matter of minutes.

"Is this true?!" He shook her violently but still his forearm remained against her windpipe and a dizzy sickness swept through her, but suddenly she felt him tense and back up slightly.

"I said take your hands off of her." Aragorn hand remained on the hilt of his sword as he barked the words again.

Boromir had no choice but to take a step backwards his face white as he saw Legolas' bow with an arrow firmly notched pointing at his chest.

Amy slid to the floor coughing and rasping violently clutching at her throat that was burning.

"You will take your things and you will return to Gondor. You are no longer a part of this Fellowship." Aragorn's hand shook with rage.

"You cannot just send me away like some scolded child, you are not my King." Boromir spat.

"You are lucky I am not sending you somewhere more permanent." Legolas' voice although controlled simmered with anger. He could not help but glance at Amy desperately wanting to see if she was okay, but the anger inside him made him grip firmly on his bow.

"This is not a discussion, you will leave now!"

Amy's vision had cleared just in time for her to read Aragorn's lips. She scrambled up shaking her head fiercely. Oh god what had she done?! What did she think would happen? They could not send Boromir away, that would change the future, that would change everything. Without him Frodo would not go on his own, Merry and Pippin would die, everything would change.

" _You can't, you can't, please_." Her hands shook as she signed but her eyes pleaded to Legolas.

"What is she saying?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas risked shouldering his bow knowing Aragorn would keep a watchful eye on Boromir. " _What is wrong, are you hurt?"_

" _You cannot send him away!"_

" _I do not understand, he cannot stay with us."_

" _Please Legolas please."_

Legolas shook his head. "After _what he has done, you would keep him here?! He hurt you."_

Aragorn could not contain it any longer. "Tell me what she says!"

Amy stepped forward and placed a hand on Legolas' feeling the tremble he fought so hard to control. "Please. Trust me." She spoke silently.

"She says that we should let him stay." Legolas answered Aragorn.

Boromir risked a look at Amy and saw her shaking. The guilt coursed through him, he did not know what had come over him, and he could not control it. Why was she helping him after he had behaved like an animal? "I am sorry." It came out of his mouth before he had time to process it and yet from his hanging head and shamed face it could only be taken as sincere.

Aragorn shook his head and took a long hard look at Amy. It made no sense to him why she would want to have Boromir stay, which meant she knew something he did not. "Fine, fine." He turned back to Boromir. "You will stay, but you will stay away from her, there is no second chance."

She could feel Legolas' stare on her back as Boromir and Aragorn made their way to camp. She almost wished she could follow them. She turned to him braced for anger but was shocked when instead he pulled her towards him and held her tightly.

His arms around her were full of strength and yet his embrace was so gentle as if he thought she might break under the smallest of pressure. She did not know when it started but soon her face was wet with her tears. The adrenaline was gone and she was left with the fear and the shock.

Taking some deep breaths she pulled away and quickly ran her hands over her face before signing. _"I need to stop making a habit of crying all over you."_

Legolas tried to smile gently but could not quite manage it. The fear he had felt when he saw the colour drain from her face and the shallowness of her breath. What was he doing?

" _Thank you, thank you for trusting me."_ She took a deep breath, god what was she doing? _"I hope I deserve it."_ She slumped against a tree. _"I am afraid I am making a big mess of things. This never would have happened if I wasn't here. Maybe Galadriel was wrong."_

Legolas had heard that twice today and wondered upon it himself. He walked over to her and tipped her chin up beckoning her to look at him. _"Are we where we need to be?"_

She nodded.

" _And is everyone here that should be?"_

She nodded again.

" _Well I would say in that case you are not making a mess of things."_ His smile and words reassured her for a moment. _"We should return to camp. You need some rest."_

When he turned away to lead the way back she lost the reassurance and the reality of what had happened hit her. She had just sentenced Boromir to death.

...

Dawn had not even crept above the horizon and Aragorn had everyone up packing the boats so they could leave as soon as the sun's first rays touched the soil. The sun brought no warmth with it and coldness has crept through the Fellowship.

Nobody had said a word to one another, even the hobbits were strangely silent despite not knowing what had occurred the night before. They could feel something was wrong.

Boromir was the quietest of all. Inside him a war was waging. His disgust at his actions tore within him like a fire and yet a bitterness grew that was beginning to freeze all remorse that he held. He could feel something pulling him and his mind kept straying to one thing. He had to get that ring to Gondor.

Finally they reached the shore of Nen Hithoel and the relief was felt by all to get out of the boats and stretch their legs. The hobbits immediately clustered together hoping to draw some comfort from one another.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North." Aragorn announced.

"Oh, yes, just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil," Grumbled Gimli as he sat heavily on a large rock. "An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that it gets even better... a festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."

Amy saw the annoyance creep over Aragorn's face until he could stand no more. "That is our road...I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

Gimli let out an indignant scoff. "Recover my..."

Legolas ignored the exchange and kept an eye on the Eastern shore, something was telling him they needed to move on quickly. "We should leave now Aragorn."

"No." Aragorn's voice displayed the finality of his decision. "Orcs patrol the Eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the Eastern shore that worries me."

"Has Amy said something?"

"No." Legolas answered as he glanced into the Parth Galen forest. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it."

"I trust your instincts my friend but I would not risk certain battle at the moment. The cracks are showing in the Fellowship."

Amy watched the exchange between Legolas and Aragorn, they spoke quickly so she could read little on their lips. The sickness she had felt since the incident with Boromir had grown and now as she sat here observing everyone keenly it refused to go away. Time was running out.

Every little detail of what was to happen ran through her mind and she analysed every aspect of it. Could she let this happen? Could she let a man die? She wanted to be brave and decisive and yet as the panic rose she felt pathetic and faint.

"Amy are you okay, you look sick?" Merry placed a warm hand on her knee.

Legolas heard Merry's question and started towards her. " _Amy?_ "

She stood up quickly and backed up before turning around and emptying the little lembas she had eaten from her stomach. She took some deep breaths trying to stop the sway of nausea, and knelt down hoping that by lowering her head she would stop the faint that was creeping up on her. 'Get a grip Amy' she told herself.

" _I'm fine_." She managed to sign quickly hoping there was no sick smeared down her face. She went to the water's edge after regaining her balance and brought the cold water to her face. She was falling apart, she had barely started on this journey and she was falling apart.

She felt a hand on her back that rubbed soothing circles, and without looking she knew it was Legolas. Whenever he was in close proximity to her she felt a calmness flood through her, something that was very welcoming right now. She did not spend too long pondering on this figuring it was some strange elven trait he could impart. Feeling steadier now she turned to the faces surrounding her.

" _What is it? What is wrong?"_

" _Nothing, I am fine...I just..._ There were six concerned faces. Legolas' concern face was also showing that he was not buying what she was saying _. "Really I am fine..."_ Six faces. Six. Now it began.

Frodo and Boromir were gone, just as they should be, but there was one problem no one had noticed. No one had noticed because they were all looking at her. _"Frodo."_ She finger spelt the name and Sam immediately looked round.

"Mr Frodo? Where has he got to?"

Aragorn turned to Legolas as the two of them noticed it was not only Frodo missing. "It is not safe in the woods. We find them!" Aragorn almost barked out the order starting off at a run into the forest.

Legolas picked up Amy's bow from the ground and thrust it into her hands. _"Stay here."_ He took the time to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. _"What do you do if danger comes?"_

" _Run."_

At her answer he was gone, dashing off into the forest. She knew he could sense something was coming.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

She stood there gripping her bow tightly. Her body seemed paralysed with fear but her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, second guessing everything she could remember from the books. Would sending Boromir home really have changed that much? Perhaps it would have helped. Denethor would have welcomed his favourite son home, and Boromir would have readied Gondor for the coming siege. But then would Denethor really have welcomed back a son that had not brought him back the one ring?

Galadriel had told her to guide them to the future she had seen, so Amy would stick to the story she knew but inside it was costing her. She stood staring into the forest knowing full well what was happening. She was glad she could not hear, she did not think she could bear the sounds of battle, the sing of arrows, the cold crash of swords, and the desperate horn of Gondor pleading for aid. Aid that would come too late. She would be of no use to him, and felt of little use to anyone else, well accept one person.

Frodo came crashing out of the forest before coming to a sudden halt before the shoreline and before Amy herself. She could see the tears already streaming down his face but kept her distance not wanting to intrude more than she had already done in these people's lives.

The hobbit seemed oblivious to her presence lost in his own thoughts. Moments went by before he turned to her. The look on his face had her catching her breath full of emotion. She slowly approached him then knelt so she was on his level.

"I wish the ring had never come to me... I wish none of this had happened...I... am sorry. I know you cannot understand me." When it came to cost, she realised Frodo was paying a deeper price than she was. "I do not know what to do." He said the last part slowly so that she could understand.

It surged inside of her then so that she could not control it even if she wanted to. "Yes you do." It was nothing but a whisper but Frodo heard it. She had spoken.

She place a gentle hand upon his chest over his heart and he knew what she meant.

He listened to what his heart was telling him and he heard Gandalf. "All feel the same who live to see such times...but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

With renewed determination, Frodo tucked the ring he had been gripping tightly into his vest pocket. He gave Amy a weak smile but she saw strength in him then and decided a small bit of intervention would not hurt. " _Wait_." She reverted back to sign language.

He understood the gesture and did not have to wait long before Sam burst through the trees. "Mr Frodo!"

"Sam, I..." He looked to Amy unsure of why she had made him wait.

"You did not think you were going anywhere without me."

"I have to go alone Sam, I'm sorry." He began to push one of the Elven boats out only to find Sam by his side. "Go back Sam. I am going to Mordor alone."

"Of course you are...and I am coming with you." To emphasise this he clamoured into the boat and folded his arms decisively.

"Sam please get out of the boat. I have to do this alone."

Sam looked pleadingly at Frodo then at Amy. She smiled gently at him and with a slight tip of the head encouraged him to go on. "I made a promise, Mr Frodo, a promise." He said his voice now thick with emotion. "Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee. And I don't mean to...I don't mean to."

Sam tears now matched Frodo's and without a second thought Frodo jumped into the boat. The two friends embraced and did not spare Amy another look as at last the Ring bearer set out to Mordor not alone but with the one person he would need to get through the journey ahead. Frodo did not need Amy, that was something she knew to be true. Frodo would find his way, and follow the right path without her.

With the two hobbits gone she knew what had happened in the forest. Merry and Pippin would have been taken and Boromir...

She could not even think about it without feeling sick, and the feeling did not abate when Aragorn appeared strapping on Boromir's vanguards. As soon as he saw her she saw the question in his eyes, a question mirrored by Legolas and Gimli that had also returned. Yet time was against them and Legolas made the first move.

"If we are quick, we can catch Frodo and Sam before nightfall." He begun to push one of the boats out. When no one reacted he turned to Aragorn. "You mean not to follow them..."

Aragorn watched as Frodo and Sam got out of their boat on the distant riverbank and begun their long journey to Mordor on their own. He had seen Frodo's intent before the Uruk's had come, when Aragorn had faced the ring of power and won the inner battle that his forefather Isildur had failed. His assurances did not only end there.

Amy had stood upon this shore the whole time and had no doubt watched or even encouraged Frodo and Sam to go. This was what was meant to happen. "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."

Gimli rested heavily on his axe. "Then it has all been in vain, the Fellowship has failed."

Aragorn looked to Amy now. "Do you think we have failed?"

Amy looked to Legolas for interpretation not fully catching all that was said. When she had read Legolas' signs she knew truly what Aragorn was asking her. Was Boromir supposed to die? Was the battle they had just fought and had lost so much worth it? Had they already failed in their quest?

" _You haven't failed anything."_ She shook her head as well so that Aragorn and Gimli got her immediate response as well. Legolas caught the undertone in her mannerisms though, they had not failed but she felt she had. He wanted to talk to her but they did not have the time.

"We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while we have strength left." He emphasised his plan by pulling out his hunting knife from his pack and strapping it to his leg. "Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc." There was a grim steely light in his eye that spurred Gimli and Legolas on.

"Yes! Ha!" Gimli roared as he shed his pack and immediately set off.

" _Are you ready?"_

" _As I'll ever be."_ She may have been a marathon runner but she had a feeling this was going to be the longest marathon of her life. If she could just keep up with Gimli she was sure she would be fine.

He spared her a wry smile before shooting off after the dwarf and the ranger. So no time to think, no time to talk, no time to cry, only time to run.

...

She did not know how long they had been running for, but the muscles in her legs told her it was longer than she had ever run for before. Her only saving grace was that although Gimli seemed to have a surprisingly endless pot of energy he did seem to have a much gentler pace. A pace she was only too happy to follow. She dreaded to think how far behind she would be if it was solely up to Aragorn and Legolas about what pace they would be setting. She could only assume that Gimli's pace was just as fast if not faster than the Uruk's they were trying, in vain she thought wryly, to catch, and therefore Aragorn was happy for them to lag behind.

As with such thoughts it is often that they jinx things and true enough Aragorn was ahead ear pressed to the ground reading the land. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!"

Legolas had the good grace to pause and turn back to Gimli and Amy. "Come on!"

Gimli ground to a halt with a heavy huff. "If we could all but skip over grass" He grumbled crossly. He took a deep breath and took Amy's hand giving it a tight squeeze as she pulled in breath greedily. "I am glad you are with me lassy."

She could not be entirely sure of what he said but the bright smile he gave her lightened her heart somewhat. With his encouragement they set off again after their fleet footed companions.

She could not see Aragorn ahead but she could see Legolas, she had no doubt he was hanging back to make sure they were okay and keeping up. Of the brief glimpses she had had of Aragorn he looked awful, probably as awful as Gimli and herself looked. Yet Legolas had not even broken a sweat, she did not know whether to resent him or be impressed.

They ran across rocks and plains pushing on until Aragorn suddenly stopped and bent down. He ran his fingers across it before picking up the Elven brooch. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall."

Legolas stopped just behind him with renewed hope. "They may yet be alive."

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come!"

Legolas turned just in time to see Gimli take a tumble from behind some rocks and roll down a slight hill. Amy was relying in her momentum at that point which meant she had no time to stop, so ploughed straight into him causing her to trip and smash face first into the floor. She let out a muffled groan as she felt strong arms pull her up.

Legolas ignored Gimli's protests at being ignored as he noticed the blood dripping from her forehead where the pinking scar had previously been healing. Without hesitation he took his leather water pouch and poured some of the contents over the wound. It was not very deep and mostly superficial but that was the first time in a few days he had really taken the time to look at her.

She looked exhausted, utterly exhausted. Her face was pale and shone with sweat and her cheeks were slightly sunken as she had burnt off every last bit of fat that her body held. In her eyes there was not just fatigue but a great hurt, a hurt he felt an overwhelming compulsion to erase but time had not been on their side for him to say anything let alone give her any comfort. The wound on her head was now clean and no longer bleeding so his excuse for not moving on was now gone. He attached his water bottle to his belt again and signed quickly. _"We are gaining on them, we must continue."_

She nodded. She knew they must continue because she knew what was waiting for them in Fangorn forest. She just was not sure if she would make it with them the rate they were going. Even Gimli seemed to have found another wind. Her second, hell her fifth wind, was well and truly gone, and no amount of lembas bread seemed to work anymore. Either her legs were just going to crumble beneath her, or the lack of sleep from two nights spent on rock with little true rest had was going to finish her off.

Gimli set off first after Aragorn panting as he did, "I am wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

Legolas could not help but smile at this as he took Amy's hand. He started off in a jog pulling her with him as he went. He was going to run with her from now on and the gesture did not go unnoticed. He felt as if he had neglected her, he knew he had neglected her.

Communication was difficult when you were setting chase but with the barrier of her hearing that existed it made it twice as hard. How could you talk to someone whilst running when you needed to face them and either talk clearly and slowly or use your hands effectively to talk in signs?

It made him wonder what her life was like back home. Aragorn had said it must be isolating but Legolas had disregarded that comment at the time, yet now it played on his mind. Just how many people could she talk to back home? Did humans on her earth all know sign language and could converse with her wherever she turned, or was she alone like she was here?

Amy could see that Legolas was deep in thought as they ran. His jaw clenched tightly whenever he was thinking about something. It was one of the little things she had noticed about him. He hid his emotions and thoughts very well, she supposed it was part of being an elf, but it pleased her when she could break through that stoic veneer. When your ears did not work, your eyes picked up all those little extra signals most people did not see. Sometimes though, as it was now, she wished she had not seen what was before her. There lay a steep hill that Aragorn had already scaled and that they were no doubt to follow him up. She felt her legs turn to jelly and stumbled. Legolas was quick to hold her up lest she fell and could feel the weight of her body relying solely on him.

She risked removing her vice like grip on his arm to sign. _"I can't do this, Legolas. I can't. I am not supposed to be here."_

He ignored the last comment not even bothering to answer and in one swift move he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

She did not feel the indignation she thought she would feel, instead the relief of not being on her feet flooded her. Upon reaching the top he placed her back on her feet but did not let her go.

Aragorn had also come to a stop. "Rohan. Home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." He nodded to Legolas and seemingly the elf knew what was required of him.

He slowly let go of Amy making sure she was steady on her feet before running ahead and scaling a rocky outcrop for height.

Aragorn called out. "Legolas, what do you elf eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" He called back.

Gimli shook his head in disbelief. "No, we cannot let that happen."

"This is Saruman's doing." Aragorn spat.

"This cannot be what happens." Gimli turned to Amy. "Tell me they do not end up in his hands!"

"Gimli." Aragorn said in a warning voice, he saw the confusion on Amy's face. "We carry on without question, and besides, she does not know what you ask."

"I am sorry Aragorn, I just cannot believe that that is their fate!"

"We do not know their fate yet, and neither does she. She knows a possible fate. We continue." With that he sped off towards Legolas' position leaving Amy and Gimli no choice but to follow.

The dwarf gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her on the back. "Keep breathing. That's the key!" He panted a final, "Breathe!" As he pushed himself onward.

She stood still for a second convinced that if she took one more step her legs would dissolve and her heart stop beating. There was nothing left in the tank, she had been running on empty for a while now. She was pretty sure that what they had done so far was just not physically possible for a human and if she pushed herself any further she was destined for a heart attack. It was then that she saw Legolas still upon the rocky outcrop waiting for her his hand outstretched and somehow she knew that if she could just make it to him that she would be okay. Her first step was shaky but with every subsequent step she felt a new strength course through her legs until finally she placed her hand in his.

A new surge of energy coursed through her as their skin touched and she looked up at him with some shock. Either he did not feel it or had decided not to explain, and with no desire to be left any further behind he raced off with her in toe.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

They ran through most of the night and she welcomed the cold air it brought until dawn which cooled her drenched skin, and when dawned broke with a red mist she knew this ordeal was nearly over.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilt this night."

Aragorn acknowledged the elf and slowed the pace leading them slowly over the plains of Rohan until morning was gone and afternoon waning.

She felt it the same time as Legolas did. The ground shook.

He turned and saw the dark blur in the distance riding towards them. "Aragorn! Horses!" He warned.

Aragorn beckoned them to hide behind a large pile of boulders until he could identify the livery of the riders. Seemingly satisfied he sprung out with no warning to his companions and called out. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?!"

Anticipation coursed through Amy's veins. She did not know whether to be fearful or just relieved that they had stopped running. Her mind was fatigued as she tried to think of where they were. Everything was blurred in her mind though and she could not recall anything.

The lead horseman signalled his men at Aragorn's voice and quickly the riders had them surrounded in an ever-tightening circle. As they stopped their spears came down and pointed perilously close to their captive's heads.

Amy did not notice it happen but Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas stood round her in her own protective circle.

"What business does an Elf, a man, a dwarf and a woman have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" Demanded the lead rider on top of his horse.

"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine." Gimli's pride pricked smartly.

Clearly displeased the lead rider handed his staff to the rider beside him and jumped gracefully of his horse. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, beard and all if it stood a little higher from the ground."

Legolas in a lightning fast move that had Amy losing her breath, drew an arrow and fixed it to his bow pointing directly at the Horsemaster's head. "You would die before your stroke fell!"

Amy closed her eyes as the spears drew closer. She could feel the tension radiating off everyone and was glad that when she finally opened her eyes the men with spears had backed off slightly.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland realm." Aragorn paused when it came to Amy deciding carefully of how to introduce her. "This is Amy friend of Lothlorien, and we are all friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king."

The man seemed content with this and pulled off his helmet although landed a questioning glance at Amy. "Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe. Not even his own kin." Aragorn recognised the man before him now as Eomer.

Amy strained to read his lips. She wanted to know what he was saying so she could check it against what she remembered should be happening. She briefly chastised herself for not picking up the books again later in life as everything was getting slightly confused in her head. She wondered if it was something to do with the endless running or whether she just had a memory like a sieve. It was strange however, as there were certain memories that were crystal clear, almost as if she had seen them, rather than read them.

She shook her head, none of this was helping her at the moment. Her eyes were too tired to strain to understand the man's hurried and tense words.

She must have given off some visible sign as all eyes turned on her and her three companions took her distress as a warning.

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked, his voice full of panic.

"They would be small – only children to your eyes." Aragorn added feeling the dread wash over him.

"We left none alive." Eomer answered now with regret. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." He pointed into the distance where smoke rose.

"Dead?" Gimli managed to choke out.

Amy was still trying to play catch up with what they were saying as she tried to work out what the hell she was going to do and Legolas took her confused expression as if something had gone wrong.

Eomer nodded. "I am sorry." He whistled as he turned away. "Hasufel! Arod!" Two horses obeyed his call and moved towards him. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He put his helmet back on as Aragorn clasped the reins of the horses. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands." He mounted his horse and with one last call the riders were gone.

Immediately Legolas turned to Amy. _"Is everything all right?"_

" _What way do they ride?"_

" _What way? North, that is north that they ride? Amy, has something changed?"_

She ignored his last question and continued with her own _. "Rohan, the city..."_ She stopped. She could not remember the name of it. _"That man, where does he come from?"_

" _E.o.m.e.r is from E.d.o.r.a.s."_ He spelt out the unusual words.

" _Where is it, what direction is it?"_

" _E.d.o.r.a.s is to the south. Amy please, what is wrong?"_

South. If Edoras was south, then why was Eomer heading north? He could not be going north. He was supposed to go south. He was supposed to go back to Edoras. She did not know how to answer Legolas' question. Did she say yes, yes something was wrong? Or did she lie and say everything was fine as to not cause the three of them to change anything further.

"What is it? Have we strayed from the path?" Aragorn asked Legolas. He needed to know, he had led them on this path and he prayed he had not led them to ruin.

Legolas could not give him an answer. " _Amy?_ "

She looked at the three faces staring at her desperate for answers she could not give. She needed them to get to the next significant event. She so needed them to get there, not just for them but for her. She needed wise words. She needed Gandalf.

" _We need to continue."_

"She says we need to continue." Legolas told Aragorn.

"Continue where!?" Gimli barked. "Where does our path need to go now?!" Amy took a step back as she felt the anger radiate from him.

Legolas looked to Aragorn. "You said we were not to ask her the future."

Aragorn began to pace. "We continue as we would."

"And where would we continue?" Gimli posed.

"We cling to hope, we look for our friends. Legolas take Gimli on Arod. I will take Amy."

Amy sighed with some relief as they seemed to come to some decision but was a little surprised when Aragorn beckoned her forward and helped her up onto Hasufel. He followed suit and settled in front of her. He turned in the saddle and slowly spoke. "Hold on."

She did as he bid and wrapped her arms around him clinging on tightly. He smelt of earth and stale sweat and scowled when she realised that is probably how she smelt. She wanted to speak to him, but felt the barrier of her hearing keenly.

She had built up her own fair share of barriers at home but this one had been put upon her and in this world, she seemed to resent it more than she ever had back home. She had so much she wanted to say and yet was restricted by time and duty and the signs only one person knew. She never had a lot to say and now when she was bursting with words she was kept silent.

There was another barrier that she had noticed not of her own making. A barrier between her and Legolas. He was very tactile with her, she again assumed this was an elven trait. Something about their hands that they needed to impart comfort with. Yet, with the need to communicate with her using his hands he was always confusing his movements. She had noted it often. He would go to touch her, perhaps on the arm or the face then change his mind as the situation required words, words that could only be spoke with his hands. And every time he withdrew his touch she cursed her deafness for stopping him.

She had never been a tactile person. In fact, many of the profoundly deaf people she had met were not especially tactile. They tended to keep a modicum of personal space around them as that space was needed to communicate. Even those that spoke and lip read proficiently needed some space, you couldn't lip read someone who was too close to focus on. So why had she chosen now to become irate with her situation? She felt incredibly lonely here, but then she had felt lonely for a long while now. She looked across to Legolas upon Arod and wished it was him she was holding onto, and that thought alone was enough to catch her breath and bury any other thoughts like that at once.

When they reached the smouldering pile of burning carcasses she placed her hand tightly over her mouth and nose lest she gag at the smell. She did not know how Gimli stood the stench as he began to sift through the pile.

She watched as he pulled out a charred belt and dagger sheath from the pile. "It's one of their wee belts." He shook his head. "Is this the purpose of the Fellowship, for us to die one by one?!"

Legolas did not answer, bowing his head instead. "Hiro ith ab 'wanath."

Aragorn could not bear the silence and let out a mighty roar as he kicked a helmet with all his might and dropped to his knees in despair. He swore to himself he would not ask Amy the future, he trusted that she was keeping them to their path. But could their path really include the death of so many dear to them.

Gimli's words were no help. "We failed them."

Amy looked at the sorrow on their faces and her heart ached for them. Then she realised it did not just ache for them it was aching for her. Merry and Pippin were her companions too, and despite what she did or did not know she was not going to be satisfied until she knew they were in safe hands. It was if the cloud of doubt lifted from her, no longer was she hanging onto the idea of a coma or stupid tumour. She was fully immersed in this world and she was fighting for it too.

She was sure that Eomer and his men were heading in the wrong direction but that did not mean Merry and Pippin fate was different.

Sod standing around silently watching, it was time to be proactive. The quest so far had been draining her of not only her energy but it seemed that little bit of fire that she still had. Even after all the years of loneliness she managed to keep it kindled and now was the time to make it spark. She had no idea what she was looking for but she started looking.

She paced around staring intently at the ground.

"What is she doing?" Gimli asked although he did not expect anyone to know.

This caught Aragorn's attention. It was obvious she was looking for something, he looked at the ground she was looking at and he saw what she could not see.

"A hobbit lay here, and the other." Aragorn sighed but then saw something else, tracks imprinted in the ground. "They crawled." He pushed himself up to his feet and looked at Amy. She nodded knowing now that he had seen what she had been hoping for. She knew what the forest was that loomed over them and so she hoped the hobbits had made it into the darkness.

"Their hands were bound." He continued on as Legolas, Amy and Gimli followed him. "There bonds were cut!" His voice now lightened as renewed hope filled him. "They ran over here, they were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle..." He broke into a run as if he had to keep up with the tracks and then stopped abruptly as they ended. "...into Fangorn Forest."

Amy could not help but smile. So, they had made it into Fangorn, and that at least was good news.

"Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?!" Gimli stared into the darkness. "I hope you are not going to tell me that we are to follow them in there!"

"That is exactly what we are going to do Master Dwarf. Not yet though. The evening draws in and I do not relish the thought of entering at night. We wait until first light. Let's set up camp for the night."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

They sat round the campfire, the first time they had rested beside warmth since the shores of the Anduin. She wished that her body felt numb from fatigue but instead she could feel every ache and pain. She did not think she had felt as awful physically as this in her entire life.

She felt cramp seizing up her calves so stood to stretch them out. Everyone was talking but she had no idea what about so she wandered off a few steps. It was only a few steps as someone placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Legolas' face only partially lit by the fire and the dim moonlight.

" _You should not go too far."_

She strained her eyes hoping they would adjust soon to the dim light so she could see his signs more clearly.

" _Sorry I just needed to stretch my legs. I am not sure they will work tomorrow."_

" _You did very well. I doubt many other women could have matched your stamina."_

" _I think you mean humans unless you believe women are inherently weaker. And besides, I do not think I did that well. The part where you had to carry definitely lost me some points."_

" _I am sorry I did not mean to offend you."_ Legolas furrowed his brow. He could tell from her face and clipped signs that she was agitated.

" _It is fine."_

" _It is not fine, you have been ignored for the past four days. Talk to me."_

Talk to him. God she wished she could just talk to him. Instead a burble of signs just came out _. "All I want is a bed, and a bath, and some chocolate and a sodding razor, and some toothpaste and a fucking tampon!"_ She did not know why but she started laughing. A silent contained laugh that caught in her throat. God she was becoming hysterical. She could see by his face he did not understand half the things she had said, which was probably for best lest he ask her to explain what one of them was. _"What I really want is to feel human again instead of..."_ She could feel them again, the tears rising. This was ridiculous. Every time she tried to talk to him she cried. That made him bad news as far as she was concerned. He moved forward with the intention to hold her but she took a step back. _"No please, I refuse to cry over you again."_

" _I do not mind."_

" _I do."_

" _You cannot hold it all in. You are no good to us like that."_

No good to us. She thought on that because that was what she was to them. A guide, the help, nothing more.

" _I am no good to you anyway"_ She finally answered _. "I am so confused. Things are not how I remember them and..."_ She she would wait until Gandalf was here before telling what she knew of Eomer . _"I cannot do this. I can't explain to you, to Aragorn what is going on!"_ She turned away from him and tried to get a hold of her emotions.

Gimli craned his neck around to try and see what was happening. "I wish I could understand what she was saying, I just cannot remember all those signs."

Aragorn smiled. "No me neither. Anyway, stop being nosy and give them some space."

Legolas, however, did not want to give her some space so he rounded her so they were face to face. _"What is it? I have seen it written all over your face since the night Boromir attacked you. Tell me?"_

The sick feeling returned again. _"I can't."_

" _Yes you can. What did he say to you? Did we do something wrong?"_

" _Please Legolas just leave it."_

" _I will not leave it whether you think I am a bully or not! It is hurting you and I cannot bear to see you like this any longer. What are you afraid of?!"_

That was exactly it. She was afraid. Afraid that he would not be able to look at her if she said it aloud. And she did care about that. Despite all the walls she had put up and despite knowing that they only wanted her here for her knowledge she had grown to care what he thought. Her years of solitude had left her hungry now for companionship and contact. But she could not hold it in any longer and what would be would be.

She took a step back and a deep breath _. "It was my fault."_ She paused. _"It was my fault Boromir died."_

Legolas looked confused. _"I do not understand."_

" _I asked for him to stay, I asked you to trust me and let Boromir stay. If Aragorn had sent him away he would be in Gondor now alive and well."_

" _But I thought Boromir was supposed to die then and there."_

" _He was, and if he did not die a lot would have changed but..."_

" _But nothing."_ Legolas interrupted. _"You did as you were bid. Galadriel asked you to keep us to the path and that is what you have done."_

" _But she did not ask me to be a murderer! I sent him to his death when I asked for him to stay. That is on me forever! Regardless of whether or not he was supposed to die! I could have stopped it but I chose not to!"_

" _You did what you had to do, you are no murderer."_

" _Then why whenever I look at my hands do I see blood on them!"_ The tears fell freely now. _"By keeping you on this path I led him to his death. I'll lead everyone to their death if that is what the book tells me to do, and I do not want that! I cannot live with it!"_ Legolas said nothing. He did not know what to say. He along with the rest of them had never considered this. He could not even answer if he could live with it if it was he that had her task. _"It's too hard."_ She knew it was a pathetic statement but it was how she felt.

Legolas did know what to say now _. "Yes it is. It is too hard for any one person to shoulder. You do not have to shoulder it on your own."_

" _I am not used to that."_ She had not meant to be that open with him so shoved her wayward hands into the pockets if her tunic, the gesture effectively silencing her.

" _How good is your lip reading?"_

She wondered where he was going with this. "How good is yours?" She spoke silently.

He smiled almost as if she had challenged him. "Let's find out." He pulled her by the shoulders so they were positioned where the most moonlight would hit their faces "Can you see my lips?" She nodded. "Good, because I am only going to say this once. Boromir died with dignity and redemption. The ring had corrupted him and the Boromir his homeland knew was gone before you came to us in Lothlorien. If we reach the ending that Galadriel was so desperate for you to protect then you cannot imagine the countless lives you will have saved. The suffering you will have ended. Do you understand what I am saying? Boromir's death was not your doing." Her throat has closed up as he spoke with emotion. She had not read every word but did understand, and the vibrations she had felt from him meant she knew he had spoken aloud. And loud enough so that Gimli and Aragorn had heard every word. He was validating to her that no one held her in the least bit responsible. "Amy?"

"I understand." She managed to answer with no voice.

" _Good. Now I need to understand something."_ He reverted back to signing now he had made his point. _"How do you cope, back on Earth, how do you cope communicating?"_ Amy raised a quizzical eyebrow wondering what he was getting at _. "What I mean is, who do you speak to? You cannot possibly get by speaking to one person, does everyone sign?"_

She took her time answering trying to avoid certain things. _"No, no not everyone knows it. Mostly it is just the deaf that know it and their families. I get by though, with my job it's usually a lot of email. They are they like letters. Other than that the job is mostly about showing people what I can do and letting them pick from photos and taste things."_

She hoped he was satisfied with this, unfortunately for her he was not. _"But what about your friends and family do they sign?"_ He saw the panic creep into her eyes as soon as he said it, but this time he was not going to back down. _"You never speak of your family, or anyone that might miss you."_ Her breath quickened slightly and he picked it up with his elven hearing. He was torn between pushing her and comforting her. He decided that he would back off a touch. _"Tell me more, about your world."_

" _What would you like to know?"_

" _Anything, everything!"_

She did not know where to start but somehow as she told him random facts and silly stories from her world she seemed to forget where they were and the weariness that was swamping her. She watched his face closely as she told him things enjoying the expression that flitter across in reaction to her words. She could also see something else in his eyes. He was considering something, but what, she had no idea.

" _It sounds,"_ He paused. He did not have the words to describe how it sounded. _"Incredible_." But as soon as he signed the word he knew that is not what he had meant. He knew what her world sounded like. It sounded like freedom. He thought back to his home in Mirkwood and the mess he had left behind. Gandalf had questioned him on the true reason he had chosen to join the fellowship but he had maintained it was his duty. The wizard knew he was lying.

He wanted her to continue with her tales of Earth. She had described it was such vivid imagery that he could imagine walking side but side with her down the streets of London. Freedom to choose his own path, become his own person, fall in love with a person of his heart's choosing.

It was a comfortable silence between them but it did not last for long. Amy saw Legolas tense before her and he quickly pulled her with him back to the campfire.

"Did you see that?" Legolas asked Aragorn.

"Yes, it looked like an old man. The horses are spooked."

"I cannot see where he went, it is almost as if he vanished."

"I will take first watch. We will need to gather our strength."

Legolas nodded and realised he was still clinging onto Amy's hand. He reluctantly let go so he could sign. " _I hope I did not startle you too much. You should get some rest, here..."_ He pulled off his cloak and laid it upon the ground. _"I won't need it and I think Gimli is just fine."_

She looked over to the dwarf who by appearances seemed to be snoring heartily. _"Thank you."_ She laid down and pulled her own cloak over her. It was no match for a duvet but the elven cloak did offer a deep warmth and despite the hard floor the toils of the last few days sent her sleep almost immediately.

"Is everything alright?" Aragron asked.

"I think so. It would take someone very strong not to be affected by the last few days."

"I heard what you said about Boromir. I knew the blame she felt."

"I do not think it helped that no one has really spoken to her for days. We need to make more of an effort."

"It is hard."

"I know but we must try, she is so isolated."

"I will do my best." Aragorn stoked the fire absently before broaching what he wanted to say. "You seem quite close to her."

"I know what you are thinking. It is written all over your face."

"Then you know what I am going to say then."

"And you know that coming from you that is extremely hypocritical." Legolas said calmly but firmly.

"I am your friend Legolas, I am just trying to help."

"I know Aragorn, and I trust your judgement."

Aragorn stood and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Get some rest friend. I will wake you when it is your turn to take watch.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, it really means a lot and keeps me writing! Thank you for your questions as well. A lot of them will be answered as the story progresses. I will say though that yes most deaf people do speak, and very well at that. Amy has a specific reason for not speaking which will become clear at some point. Amy is actually loosely based on a real deaf person I know so I am trying to stick as closely to real life to what this kind of experience would be like when deaf.

 **Chapter Twelve**

The air in the forest felt heavy, so much so that Amy felt as if she needed to take deeper breaths. They had entered Fangorn shortly after sunrise, and she was pleased that while she had slept like a log nothing had disturbed their camp through the night.

"Ptui! Orc blood." Amy saw Gimli spit as his face screwed up in disgust. It did not take much imagination to know what he had just put in his mouth and she felt her stomach turn slightly.

Aragorn and Legolas were being as vigilant as ever as they made their way through the knotted trees and roots and yet they seemed to be making an extra effort to talk to her. Not long conversations but constant questions to see if she was alright. Obviously Legolas had said something and she found the gesture heartening.

Amy kept her own observations up watching the remainders of the Fellowship and trying to keep up with what they were doing and saying.

Aragorn bent down and touched the ground with his fingertips.

Gimli did not seem impressed and fidgeted nervously bringing his axe up.

"This forest is old. Very old." Amy lip-read Legolas and could see his face light up with wonder. "Full of memory... and anger." Amy did not need to hear to know the trees were groaning. The earth felt as if it moved beneath her feet. It was if the remaining senses she had were finely attuned to compensate for the silence. _"The trees are speaking to each other."_ He signed it as well as said it, explaining to her what she was feeling. Legolas knew that she felt things and saw things most humans did not.

"Gimli! Lower your axe." Aragorn whispered tersely.

Legolas quickened his pace so that he was at the front of the group. "Aragorn, nad na ennas!"

"Man cenich?"

"The White Wizard approaches."

Aragorn immediately brought his hand to the hilt of his sword. "Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us. We must be quick." He turned around quickly and took hold of Amy's hand pulling her until she was positioned behind a large oak. "Wait here." He whispered slowly.

She understood but dared to peak round to see Gimli tighten his hold on his axe and Legolas notch an arrow to his bow. With a flash of light she saw the arrow bounce back and Gimli's axe fall to the ground. Aragorn dropped his sword as if the metal had grown red hot and he brought his hands to shield his eyes from the white piercing light.

Amy could not make out the face behind the light but she knew who it was they were to meet in Fangorn. She could see them speak but knew not what they said. It was only when she saw the relief that flooded their faces when the White Wizard revealed himself did she step out from behind the tree. Her mouth fell open unconsciously as she saw the familiar face. As the four companions were reunited and the wizard described his trials of Moria and how he found his way to Fangorn Amy stared incredulously at him.

"I am Gandalf the White. And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide!" He announced as the three hunters all but grinned at him. He returned their smiles but it faltered when finally he laid eyes on the young woman that stood silent and beautiful by a tree. "And who is this you have found on your travels?"

"This is Amy." Aragorn held out a hand beckoning her forward. "She was found in Lothlorien. She is not from our world."

"Is that so?" He look at her strangely but he had kept a small smile on his lips. "Welcome to Middle Earth young one."

Amy had not moved and her initial stunned face went cold and she could feel anger begin to course through her veins. _"You?"_ She pointed at him fiercely, her finger doing the speaking. _"You!"_ Before she could grasp any semblance of control she had lunged forward and lifted her hand up as if to slap the wizard around the face. Legolas was quicker through and he gripped her wrist firmly and pulled her back with a strong arm around her waist. She twisted violently trying to free herself from his vice like grip but it was useless.

Aragorn and Gimli could not help but look on in confused silence and Gandalf also remained still but the small smile had not left his lips.

"Amy stop, what are you doing? This is Gandalf, calm down! What is wrong with you?!" Legolas knew his words were useless as she could not hear him but he did not know what else to do. He was not about to let go of her so he could sign.

Amy stopped wriggling and instead pierced Gandalf with her most contemptuous look.

" _Are you quite finished?"_ Gandalf took a step forward as he signed. Amy was not the only one taken aback at his fluent sign language. "Legolas you can release her arms, I think she will need them." Legolas did as the wizard bid but kept a firm grip around her waist. _"I will repeat my welcome in a way you understand, welcome to Middle Earth young one."_

" _You did this, it was you! You brought me here!"_

Legolas' eyes widened at this as the only other who could understand and his grip faltered. She took her chance and stepped out of his reach but tamed herself not to go further.

" _And what makes you think that?"_

" _I saw you, I saw you in the hospital! You were there, you and…"_

 _Gandalf cut her off. "No Amy I was not there, I think you may have been confused."_

" _I am not confused, you were there, you looked right at me!"_

Gandalf smiled warmly. _"My dear, you were in an accident and hit your head, it is not likely that Thomas and I were in the hospital is it?"_

His question made her feel stupid and yet he was giving himself awa _y. "How do you know Thomas was there then…you are lying!"_

" _You are clever my dear, if a little rash. I know this because I know many things."_

She took a wary step back and was relieved to feel Legolas' warming presence behind her. _"If you know so much then tell me what this is. You said I hit my head, so is that what this is a dream, a hallucination?"_

" _I think you know that neither of those are true."_

" _Then how did I get here?"_

" _We have a lot to discuss my dear, but now is not the time, we must ride to Rohan. But I get the feeling you already knew that."_

" _I am not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!"_ Her emotions had bubbled up inside of her and she let out a choked gasp.

"Gandalf?" Aragorn broke through the tension.

The wizard looked to the man then to the elf and was shocked to see the elf regarding him with a steely cold suspicion. 'Interesting,' he thought to himself.

" _I must ask you to trust me Amy. Can you do that?"_

Amy raised a doubtful eyebrow. _"Why should I?"_

" _Because you know who I am, and you know I am not evil. You also know what Galadriel tasked you with. Will you abandon that task now?"_

Annoyance bristled through her. 'Tasked?' Tasked would not be the word she used for it. But he had her there. She knew they must go onto Rohan so what was she going to do, stay here in Fangorn and try and survive on fruit and nuts? She would not last a week. She had no choice but to trust him and continue on. She felt Legolas' hand then on her shoulder, and felt as it squeezed gently. Maybe she did not need to trust Gandalf, because she already had someone she could trust.

" _I will want answers."_

" _I did not say I had answers, only you have those. I will help you find them."_

" _Then let's ride."_

Gandalf smiled broadly now and turned to Aragorn and Gimli with arms wide open. _"_ One stage of your journey is over, another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

Hasufel and Arod remained nearby on the plains bordering Fangorn grazing until summoned by Legolas with a gentle whistle. Gandalf repeated this action to call his own mount. It did not take long before a horse appeared over the hill its mane and coat as white as snow.

Amy could not help but feel some of the tension she felt drain upon the sight of such a beautiful animal.

Gandalf greeted the horse with a gentle bow. "Shadowfax. He is the lord of all horses and he has been my friend through many dangers." He mounted swiftly despite no stirrups, saddle or bridle. "We ride!"

"With me Gimli." Aragorn spoke.

Gimli grumbled under his breath. "Just pass me around, I do not mind!"

Legolas gave his friend a shallow nod, imperceptible to most but not to Amy.

As they rode across the plains of Rohan Amy had time to think. It has not been so long ago that she sat behind Aragorn wishing she was in the very position she found herself in now. However, upon finding herself in that position she was not sure how to feel. She clung onto Legolas, but that was out of fear of falling rather than anything else, but she could not help but feel something else. It had been a long while since she had clung on to anyone for wont of a better word, yet she had found herself in his arms more often since she got here than anyone else's in the last four years.

She did not think she could have continued on if it was not for him especially now Gandalf had not turned out to be the comforting presence she thought he would be. She had expected him to know things and be able to help her, but it seemed he had more to do with her being here than he was letting on.

She did not want to think about it anymore as she felt a headache coming on. In fact her whole body seemed to be aching more now. She guessed it was the aftermath of the continued running. Her thoughts began to drift back to the elf in front of her. She had opened up to him the night before, partly because he did not leave her much choice, and partly because she wanted to. And that scared her. She had not wanted to open up to anyone before so was fearful of this change in her and if she admitted it resentful that he had broken through her well placed defences.

They had been riding a long while now and not only had her backside gone numb but her whole body seemed to lull as sleep tried to claim her. Her body baffled her as she still was disbelieving that she had managed to run nigh on three days without rest. She was sure she had read somewhere that humans could die from sleep deprivation. Yet she daren't try to reclaim some of the lost sleep now lest she fall beneath Arod's thundering hooves.

Legolas could sense her growing weary behind him as her forehead gently rested against his back only to shoot up as her brain startled itself back into life. He wished he could tell her that he would not let her fall but turning and signing and steering Arod at this thundering pace would prove to be a bit tricky even for an elf.

He found himself growing resentful of the disability, not of Amy, but of the fact that she was deaf. He knew it was ridiculous and wrong but it just felt overwhelmingly unfair that she could not hear. He had not come across many disabilities in his life being an elf, certainly not in this close proximity. He wanted to ask questions, but did not know whether that was inappropriate. He had pushed her already, desperate to find out about the world she lived in and who she was and yet he did not even know if she was born deaf.

And there was one more niggling little issue that kept bothering him. Why when Middle Earth stood on the brink of open warfare and the One Ring was headed towards Mordor in the hands of a hobbit was he more concerned about the girl behind him than the road ahead of him. Turning his thoughts back to matter in hand he saw Gandalf hold a hand up signalling that they were to stop for the night.

…...

The campfire they made was small as to not attract too much attention although Gandalf did not seem too worried.

" _Come walk with me."_ Gandalf signed as he rose. Amy had little choice but to follow him and felt her stomach tighten nervously. He wanted to talk, and getting answers was something she wanted and yet as she ached for sleep fear sparked in her belly. _"You do not need to look so nervous; I am not as nearly frightening as some may make out!"_

His joke and joyful smile did little to calm the nerves inside her, _"Forgive me if I am little out of sorts, life is a little odd at the moment."_ She managed to make her signs drip with sarcasm.

Gandalf seemed not notice, _"I can imagine, I am sure you thought you would have woken up by now."_

She did not mean to gawk at him but her mouth did fall unattractively ajar. _"Woken up?! I thought you said this was real!?"_

" _It is but I just wanted to check that you believe it."_

" _Who cares what I believe? What I want to know is the truth!"_

" _Well often the truth is not what is important."_

" _You are bloody cryptic aren't you?"_ Her frustration bubbled over and for a second she thought he was going to shout at her in a rage but instead he burst out laughing. From the reddening of his cheeks she could see that it was a deep jovial laugh and she found herself despite everything smiling.

Eventually he regained some composure. _"So there is some spirit in there."_ Amy cocked an eyebrow unsure of what he meant but let him continue. _"Does there need to be a reason for you being here?"_

Amy had not considered that.

" _If there is no reason then, what am I supposed to do?"_

" _I did not say that there was no reason, just whether there needed to be a reason."_ He smiled as her look of frustration deepened.

" _So there is a reason?"_

" _That is not for me to say."_

She scowled at him and the action reminded the wizard of a pupil at school.

" _Galadriel thought I may be of use to the Fellowship."_

" _Do you feel useful?"_

" _Quite the opposite. I feel like a burden."_

Gandalf regarded the woman before him, she looked weary and a deep sadness seemed to follow her around. It was not the first time he had stood before a human not of his world, but never under these circumstances "This is quite unorthodox of him…" Gandalf mumbled aloud to himself.

She tried to work out what he said but could not and Gandalf seemed lost in his own thoughts.

She moved towards him to break his reverie.

" _Do you think I can help them? The Fellowship."_

Gandalf turned back to her and smiled. _"I think you have and will continue to help them in ways you do not even know."_

" _I am no guide."_

" _Then do not guide them. Give them your companionship."_

" _I think they need more than a friend."_

Gandalf's face became serious _. "My dear. What on all earths could be more important than a friend?"_

She had no answer for this. No come back, because of anyone what would Amy know of friendship? A person who had spent years pushing her existing friends away.

" _You won't get mad if I tell you that sometimes I am not entirely convinced I really am here?"_

Gandalf furrowed his brow. _"Why would I get mad? I would think you mad if you wilfully accepted that this was real."_

" _Legolas got mad."_

Did he now? Thought Gandalf, before Amy continued.

" _You seem to have wilfully accepted that I am real, a stranger from another world brought here for no reason at all it would seem."_

" _You are before me, so I accept that you are real."_

" _So it is as simple as that?"_

" _It can be."_

" _Gandalf, please answer me honestly, just one question, yes or no."_

" _What is it?"_

" _Were you in the hospital that day, with Thomas?"_

He smiled and looked down at his feet as if pondering the answer. 'Ah Thomas.' He said to himself. _"Hmm it is difficult to say. I have been many places Amy, and not always in the right order. If you are sure it was me however, then yes, yes it was me."_

'not always in the right order?!' Amy's mind did a backflip in confusion. Gandalf paid no heed and patted her shoulder gently and wondered off back to the campfire. She was about to join him suddenly concerned that she was effectively standing on a moonlight field in the middle of nowhere on her own, but when a light breeze lifted the air around her she smelt a familiar woody scent. Legolas.

…..


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

She turned with a smile, happy that she had caught him unawares. He may be able to sneak up on most people and although a deaf girl may seem an easy target she had as few tricks up her sleeve.

" _Anyone would think you had elf hearing."_ Legolas joked.

" _Anyone would think you were trying to make me jump."_

" _Never, I just did not want to disturb you."_

" _You are not disturbing me. I was just thinking on the riddles that Gandalf has spun."_

" _Yes he does tend to leave one with more questions than answers. Are you alright? You seemed very angry with him in the forest."_

" _Yes I am okay, I was shocked, that's all. It was not the first time I had seen him."_

" _I do not understand."_

She explained what had happened in the hospital and watched Legolas' face carefully as he took the information in. She then for the first time explained exactly how she had come to find herself in Middle Earth.

" _So you think Gandalf is keeping something from you?"_ He asked.

She just shrugged in response allowing him to continue. _"And, this Thomas. He lives with you?"_ He was glad for once to be signing and he knew his voice would have betrayed the strange sensation of jealously he felt.

" _Well yes, I mean…"_ It occurred to her then that she had not exactly been clear about who Thomas was. _"He is a cat."_

Legolas smiled in relief but then bit his bottom lip awkwardly feeling slightly foolish.

Amy smiled back and felt her face flush slightly. _"He hates me."_

" _The cat hates you?"_

" _I took him in after…."_ She stopped. _"Anyway, I think he would rather be anywhere else than with me but I feed him so I guess that is why he hangs around. To be honest I do not really like him either so I guess it is fair. He probably was glad to see the back of me."_

" _I am sure that is not true."_

She smiled and regarded him carefully. There was clearly something on his mind.

" _Is everything alright?"_

He took a deep breath as he had been building up to this _. "I have a question for you, you don't have to answer and I am sorry if it is inappropriate and bad timing I just wanted..."_

" _What is it?"_ She startled herself by ending his discomfort and adding to her own.

" _Have you always been deaf?"_

Of all the questions. Of course she wasn't offended; there was nothing to be offended about. But it occurred to her then; he was not the only one who second guessed everything they should say in front of a disabled person, the earth was full of them. _"Yes, I was born deaf."_ She answered.

" _Do you know why?"_

" _It was just one of those things. My ear canals and drums did not form properly so I effectively do not have the equipment to hear."_ Now that he had started he did not want to stop but bit his tongue. She saw it as clear as day on his face _. "You can ask. I really do not mind."_ As if to make him feel more comfortable she sat down on the ground and gestured for him to follow suit. She felt her body relax a bit now.

It was strange, he thought for a split second as he sat down, that she could be so open about this and yet so secretive about so much else in her life. _"I had never met a deaf person before you."_

" _I guess elves tend to be perfect."_

" _I would not say perfect, but you are right in saying that there are very few disabled elves. Those who are, it is usually because of wounds suffered in battle. Anyway, you say that as if you are not perfect."_

He let that hang there and it took her a while to recover her wits enough to answer.

She decided to deflect. _"Tell me about your home. You know of mine now but I don't know much about yours."_

His face lit up. _"People tend to think of Mirkwood as dark and dangerous, but if you know where to go it is the most beautiful place on Middle Earth. The way the light breaks through the trees and into the cave, beautiful starlight at night, so clear. There is a garden where all the younger elves meet at night. We play music and dance, forget about the world around us."_

She smiled as he described his home. She knew from the books that Mirkwood had indeed become dark and dangerous in these times but for him it clearly was still his beautiful home. _"It must be hard to leave."_ She signed.

His smile faltered. It had been hard to leave. It would be harder to go back, he thought to himself. _"Maybe one day I could take you there?"_

He had signed the word before his brain could tell him not to. He knew that his father would never allow that. The way she smiled at him though made him wish he make his offer come true.

" _I suppose I should work out what I am going to do when this is all over. There must be humans here that are deaf. How would I find them though? Maybe Rohan has a deaf club?"_ She smiled to show she was joking. _"There are loads of deaf people really, or at least hard of hearing. Or there are people that damage their hearing. Where I come from it can get very loud, or so I'm told!"_

He laughed at this and she took the opportunity to sway the conversation away from her and onto him. _"It strange that my hearing is so fascinating to you when it is you that have the extraordinary abilities. Not to mention your ears are pointed which is something you do not see in my world."_ She took the opportunity to stare at the pointed tips.

" _They may seem extraordinary to humans but to elves they are normal. Besides most humans do not view the gifts of the Elder as extraordinary, more as something to fear and mistrust. You saw Eomer's reaction to me."_

" _You did point an arrow at his head."_ She smiled widely as she signed _. "But I understand what you mean. I suppose all humans are the same, we are afraid of what we do not understand. No matter how sophisticated a society is people still fear what is different. Race, gender, class, disabilities, sexuality, it does not matter what the difference is."_

Legolas could not work out everything she had said but knew what she was getting at.

" _You speak from experience?"_ Legolas was not often he spoke of injustice with someone. Often people avoided the topic around him because he was a Prince and by her previous description he pretty much fell at the top of the pile of all the categories. What could he possibly know about injustice?

Amy thoughts did not mirror his instead she thought hard on his question _. "I was bullied at school a lot, but then a lot of children are. I think I had it better than most. My mother she..."_ Amy stopped and Legolas saw it then, the raw pain, the pain she had brought with her.

She tried to hastily stand up, she wanted to get back to the campfire and lay her head down and drown in sleep before her tired mind could risk anymore slips. Her nerves and emotions were shredded and she could not continue her sentence. Legolas was not about the let her go through and he rose quickly and more steadily and stilled her with a strong hand on her shoulder.

" _I can't."_ She signed quickly.

Legolas let go but stood in front of her so she could not leave. He was pushing but he thought if he did not do it now, when would he have another opportunity? He decided it was time he opened up a bit. _"I lost my mother a very long time ago. I think about her every day, I miss her."_ His eyes shone now bright blue with emotion.

Amy held her breath. She had never read anything about Legolas' mother but had never come to the conclusion that she was dead. _"Why are you telling me this?"_

He knew he had hit the mark, his intention was not to upset her but to ease some of her burden. She had brought a lot of pain with her to Middle-Earth and he intended to help her with it. _"Because I recognised the same pain in you that I feel whenever family is brought up."_

" _I...my..."_ She stopped and changed her mind. _"I do not know my father, he left when I was a baby."_

" _And what about your mother?"_ She could not avoid it forever.

" _She... my mother she...died."_ She did not know when the last time was she signed those words. She did not even know if she had ever signed those words.

He knew what it cost her and so he ignored all former protests and pulled her towards him. She was painfully aware of just how close he was now but after the few days she had had the warmth and comfort he offered her was too much to turn down. Although communication had to end she did not resent it this time, she just buried her face into his chest and held onto him as if he would disappear.

…...

They continued riding early in the morning and despite being near exhausted Amy had not slept well. She now felt utterly dog tired as if her body could shatter at any point and the constant swaying of the horse below her was not helping. She was sure she had fallen asleep numerous times against Legolas' back but this time she was beyond caring if she fell off.

Her dreams had disturbed her, and she did not want to dwell on them but her current situation was not helping that. She had freely opened up to him the night before, well perhaps not freely, but it was more than most people had got out of her for a long time. Opening up to him had meant opening up to herself and to the dreams that had chased her through the night. She also had that feeling of being watched and she was sure that every time she looked over Aragorn would turn away quickly as if being caught.

She began to watch him, he looked troubled. More troubled than usual.

The group stopped in the mid-afternoon. "I think we should rest now and begin again at night. It will do no favours for us to arrive at Edoras in darkness. We should arrive there in the morning if we leave when the moon is half satisfied." Aragorn was quick off his steed and strode purposefully to the crest of the hill that was sheltering them to look out across Rohan.

"Well do not mind about me laddy! I do not need your help anyway!" Gimli grumbled as he wriggled nervously on top of Hasufel. He threw his axe to the ground in preparation for his descent but this simple action was enough to send him off balance without Aragorn there to calm the horse. He gave a strangled yelp as he tumbled to the ground.

Legolas was quick off of Arod to help his fallen friend but the dwarf grumbled loudly about not needing any help and somewhat roughly shoved him away. It seemed as if everyone was tense this afternoon. Everyone accept Gandalf who managed to stifle a chuckle at the scene before him. He felt it to, however, the tension within the group and thought perhaps he best mediate some of it, starting with Aragorn. Although, he did not relish the thought of scaling the tussocky outcrop that Aragorn had climbed he clutched his staff with resolve and began his ascent.

Legolas gave up listening to Gimli's grumblings and turned his attention back to Amy who was still sat upon Arod. She had told him before, rather sternly, that she did not need any help dismounting and yet this time she seemed almost frozen in place. He walked over and placed a gentle hand on her knee to get her attention. She jolted at the contact and almost seemed confused as to where she was for a few moments.

" _Were you asleep?_ " Legolas tried to stop the smirk threatening to form on his lips.

" _No, no, I was..."_ She had nothing. _"Okay I was asleep. I think if I do not get a proper night's sleep soon I will die."_

Legolas paled slightly at this. _"Do not say such things. Let me help you down."_

When he had settled her on the ground she replied. _"It was a joke. I am fine, really."_

Legolas studied her closely then. She did not look fine. If anything she looked worse than yesterday. Her eyes now sat hollow above her cheekbones, her skin was pale with a faint sheen of sweat and he could see how her clothes now hung off her where her body was wilting under the strain and exhaustion of the last few days. " _You are not fine. You need to eat and you need rest."_ He took a large chunk of lembas bread from his pack and handed it to her with a warning look. He then laid down his clock at the base of the hillock where a small over crop hung. _"Eat that and lie here."_

She was not sure what had come over him but his bossy actions and deliberate movements made it seem as if he was angry at her. If she had anything left to give she would have called him up on it, or at least made a smart comment, but for now she was willing to let it slip. She dropped heavily onto the cloak and after only two mouthfuls of lembas she was fast asleep on the ground.

"I know dwarves that would not have made it over that distance, and that is saying something." Remarked Gimli. "You tell her from old Gimli, she has done those hobbits proud."

Legolas smiled. "You could always tell herself."

Gimli made a low sort of rumbling noise. "Ah, it's difficult, I don't know how you keep it straight in your head laddy."

Legolas scowled slightly but left it. He had tried to get Aragorn and Gimli to learn more, starting back in Lorien but both still had failed to pick up anything other than rudimentary. Gimli being the worst offender. He was glad that Gandalf was able to speak with her, although he was not sure how well they were getting on. When she lunged at him in the forest he thought she had lost her mind but then as their conversation unfolded he could not help but think Amy was right, and Gandalf did have something to do with her being here. The elf had not pried further though, aware that he had already been pushing her to open up to him.

…..

"So you agree with Galadriel then?"

"Hmm?" Mumbled the wizard as he fumbled with his pipe.

"That we should have Amy with us as a guide?"

"Ah." Gandalf made no rush to answer Aragorn's question and pulled in a long draw of smoke spluttering a little as it burned its way down his throat. "It is not for me to question the advice of the white lady."

"So you do not agree then."

"I did not say that. I think that Amy is exactly where she needs to be for now." Gandalf looked down onto plain where Amy was sleeping. He took special note of Legolas who sat nearby, his eyes never leaving her sleeping form. Turning back to Aragorn he asked, "Why are you troubled with this now?"

Aragorn let out a heavy sigh releasing some of the tension that had been building up inside of him. "It weighs on my mind that friends and strangers alike have followed me through and into danger. They have trusted me to lead them not astray."

"That is the burden of a King."

"I am no King yet." He spat the words. He did not feel much like a King in that moment and nervously fingered the Evenstar that hung around his neck.

Gandalf continued, "Do not think that they follow you blindly. They have all got their own reasons for being here along with their trust in you."

"I am glad you are back Gandalf. I feel that this weight has been too heavy for me."

"I will not always be here Aragorn. You must learn to manage this weight, trust in those around you. You are not alone."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

 _If only you had listened to me. If only you had listened to me. If only you had listened to me. If only you had listened to me. If only you had listened to me. If only you had listened to me._

Amy jolted awake sitting upright in her urgency to get away from the voice that echoed in her head. She narrowly avoided knocking her head on rocky outcrop that hung over.

It was that dream again, and she daren't try to go back to sleep in case it overwhelmed her again. The sun was just beginning to disappear and the sky was pink with the last of its rays. She felt his eyes then on her.

Legolas was on watch as the others slept. It was the final watch before they set off at midnight for the final stretch of their journey to Edoras. He had been watching her sleep and could see that her sleep was disturbed by nightmares. He did not wake her though; she needed sleep despite how restless it may be. Now that she was awake, however, he went to her. He knelt down before her and offered her some lembas.

Amy took the bread gratefully hoping it would settle her stomach. She felt even worse now than she did before she went to sleep. _"Thank you."_ She secretly hoped she had not made any sign that she had been dreaming.

" _Are you all right? Your sleep seemed troubled."_

So much for not showing any sign, Amy thought irritably. _"Yes I am fine. Just tired."_

The elf was not convinced, he had lost count of the number of times she had said she was fine. _"You can talk to me Amy. I am here for you_."

Amy could see that his face was etched with worry. _"Really Legolas, I am all right. The last few days have taken a lot out of me that is all."_

" _Do you think you can get some more sleep before we set off again?"_ Amy shook her head but was not careful enough to hide the small spark of fear that glittered in her eyes.

If she did not want to sleep the he was not going to just let her sit here under the weight of her own thoughts. He decided to try and gently coax some more out of her. _"You were going to tell me a story last night. We were talking about injustice."_

She looked at him sceptically. She knew what he was trying to do. 'What harm would it do?' She thought. She could not imagine it getting any worse, her body was a mess and her mind could barely stay on one subject for longer than a minute, and now it seemed even her sleep was not sacred. She thought back to their conversation, she knew exactly where she had stopped. She took in a slow breath almost as if she was drawing in courage before a battle. She decided to just start where he let off.

" _My mother, she was a strong woman..."_ She paused and took another steadying breath _. "She always told me that I was just as important as everyone else be they a bin man or the Queen. I believed her."_

She had stopped but Legolas did not try and fill the pause. He waited patiently knowing there was more to come out.

" _I guess that was naive."_ Finally she began to sign again resigned to her fate to share with him _. "I wanted to work as a waitress when I turned 16, at weekends to earn a bit of money. I was saving up to buy baking equipment. I can't really express how much I love cake."_ He smiled with her at this _. "The local restaurant was looking for waitresses, servers,"_ she corrected realising the term waitress was probably not in his vocabulary. _"I went along asking for a job. They said no. They did not even ask me to try out, to see what I could do. I had been practicing carrying three plates all that week. I went home angry and confused. I worked myself up into a right little tantrum. I wanted to know why the others got to have a go and practice serving and I didn't. I stormed back to the restaurant and asked the manager why?"_

She paused as she felt the emotion she had felt those eight years ago course through her as she relieved the memory _. "He looked at me as if I was so stupid. I was stupid. He said, 'How are you supposed to serve someone if you cannot hear what they are asking for?' How are you supposed to describe the specials when no one can understand what you say? How can you keep up with a busy kitchen when you cannot hear the table numbers being called out?' And he was right. How could I do all those things?"_ Her eyes had begun to well up with tears and she felt angry at herself for getting upset again, upset over something that had happened years ago _._ She also remembered how angry she had been at the time. _"I was so angry with my mother, she had told me I was the same as everyone else, but I wasn't. I couldn't do what everyone else could do."_

Legolas shuffled over so he was directly in front of her, their knees now touching, and raised a hand to brush away the first tear that had escaped down her face. She closed her eyes and leant into his touch almost instinctively. He was struck by all that she had said but one part was stuck at the forefront of his mind "... _no one can understand what you say?"_ Say. She had definitely said 'say.' His mind began racing at this but despite his sudden found inquisition he pulled back from asking, he was already pushing her too far he knew this, he would not push her on that. They stayed this way for a few moments until she opened her eyes and his hand fell to his side.

" _I did not stay angry at her for long. I knew what she had tried to do, she wanted me to always feel important no matter what anyone said to the contrary. A lot of people say a lot of things to the contrary."_

" _And despite that you do what you love. The man in the restaurant did not stop you."_

" _No I suppose he didn't."_ She rubbed her hands over her face and let out a sigh _. "Do you think I will ever manage a conversation with you without becoming a mess?"_

" _I am sorry Amy. It seems I cannot help but upset you."_

" _I did not mean it like that, I don't want an apology. It's just that nobody has ever really asked me questions like you."_

" _I do not know what has got into me; I am not normally this intrusive."_

" _I would let you know if you were being intrusive."_

" _Can I say something then?"_

" _When has anyone been able to stop you?"_ She joked with a wry smile.

He laughed at this and was glad that she was happy for him to continue _. "I think that the reason you do get upset is because you have not said these things to anyone in a long time. You have bottled it all up. When was the last time you spoke to someone about this, about anything?"_ He used words like 'spoke' and 'said' freely as they were the words one would normally use in this context..

She knew exactly the last time she had had a conversation like this; a conversation where you told someone something real, rather than just passing the time with them. _"Four years and two months ago. That was the last time."_

Because she had been so specific Legolas knew exactly what to ask next _. "When did your mother die?"_

" _Four years and two months ago."_ The tearful sadness of their previous conversation was gone now and replaced with a deep sorrow that Legolas could feel radiating off her. He knew what it was like to lose a mother, and he felt keenly then his own loss mirrored in hers _. "We spoke about my hearing. She wanted me to have the cochlear implant. It's this thing they put in your head so that you can hear."_ Legolas was fascinated at this and wanted to know more about it but dare not interrupt. " _I wasn't sure, but she really thought I should go for it, we had had this conversation more times than I cared to remember. She always regretted not having done it when I was child, when it was her decision. I guess she wanted it to be up to me. She went on and on about how it would change my life, it would help me start my business and...well she thought it would help me meet someone, she wanted me to go out dancing with my friends and actually hear the music. Most of all I think she wanted me to be able to phone her in the evenings to say goodnight. Anyway, that was the last time I spoke to her."_ She stopped now. She thought maybe she would cry again but she didn't. Instead she felt a little better. It was the first time she had spoken about her mother and she felt lighter for it. She looked at Legolas properly now after avoiding all possible eye could see clear as day he knew what she felt and suddenly she felt like the curious one. _"What happened to your mother Legolas?"_ It may seem a strange question to ask a human but to ask an elf it made sense. Something would have had to have 'happened' as elves did not die of old age or disease.

" _She was killed, a band of Orcs broke through our borders. She was out riding, she loved riding. We did not know they were so close to our homes until we heard the screaming."_ His jaw was tight with emotion as he signed. She almost did not need to look at his hands to know what he was telling her, she could see it all over his face. The pain, the sorrow, the anger and the regret _. "I was too late. I was the first one to get there but I was too late. She was already dead."_ When he stopped his fists clenched tightly. _"Mirkwood has never and will never be the same without her. She was the sun; she brought light to the people."_

" _She sounds wonderful."_

" _She was, but then everyone thinks their mother is queen above all. What of yours? Why did she die?"_

He had shared with her what was clearly a painful memory for him, a memory that bore so many parallels with her own, so she would share with him _._ For the first time she would share with anyone. _"She was killed...murdered."_ She spelt the last word out knowing full well he had not learnt that in his lessons. She stopped for a long while, trying to figure out if she could actually do this. Actually explain to someone what happened. She felt his hands rest on her knees and they gave a gentle squeeze of encouragement. She could do this. _"They wanted her handbag. It did not have much in it beside a little bit of money and her knitting, the police think she argued with them and tried to keep hold of it."_

" _Police?"_

" _They are people who take care of everyone, well they are supposed to. They catch the bad guys and solve crimes. They solved this crime but it did not make any difference. The two men they caught were sentenced to nine years in jail. Nine years! One of them has already left, he got to leave early!"_ Legolas could see the exasperated bitterness now, the bitterness from the lack of justice. He would never forget how it felt to slaughter the Orcs that had attacked his home, his family. _"They stabbed her nine times in the stomach. A year for every stab is apparently the going rate for murder sentences."_ The anger slowly slipped away now to make room for the regret. _"She was a strong woman, she was still alive when someone found her lying in the street. She was still alive when they got her to the hospital, the healers. She was still alive when the police knocked on my door to tell me what happened, she wasn't alive when I finally got to her bedside. I was too late."_

" _Neither of us could have changed being too late Amy."_

" _That's what I told myself at first. But that is where the difference is between us, I could have changed it. If I had a phone, could answer a phone, I would have been there forty minutes earlier. She died twelve minutes before I got there. I lost twenty eight minutes. Twenty eight of the most important minutes were lost because I couldn't hear, because I didn't get the bloody cochlear implant!"_ The tears did come now in a violent rage and Legolas had to wrap his arms round her tightly to stop her continuing to pull herself apart. He whispered soothing elvish words into her hair knowing that they made no difference, but they were comforting to him, and seeing her like this was agony. It was then he heard it. She was sobbing. He had seen her cry before, it was almost a running joke between them, yet she had always cried silently, something he thought was impossible before meeting her. Yet, here she was crying in his arms sobbing, the harsh sound almost music to his ears. She may live in silence but she wasn't silent.

He rocked her back and forth and continued to whisper. She could feel his breath on her ear. She concentrated on it as she fought desperately for control. She had kept herself under control for the last four years, yet she had chosen to break here in the middle of a field in Middle-Earth. And despite the emotion that coursed through her, as soon as he had wrapped his arms around her she felt it all slipping away until finally she was silent and just concentrating on his breath on her ear.

She took a deep breath in and inhaled his scent. He smelt like rain, and trees and earth. It was strange really because she had never smelt anyone that embodied the smell of nature before. Mostly men smelt of deodorant, cigarettes and the tube in London. Legolas smelt like none of those things. She couldn't describe it to herself but she felt some relief from it. It was comforting, like the smell of home. Her home smelt mostly of baking, soda breads, muffins, biscuits and the rest. But now she felt a pull to him, as if he was some sort of home to her. He was the nearest she had to a home in Middle-Earth. He understood her, he looked out for her, he talked and listened to her, he made her smile and he thought nothing of holding her when she needed someone. And she did need someone, everyone needed someone but she had tried to shut herself off from everyone for so long.

He was a friend. A proper friend, a friend who she could sit in the arms of comfortably drawing comfort and strength from him. She had pushed all her old friends away. It was only a matter of time before Katie and Chris disappeared considering the way she treated them.

She was pressed tightly to his shoulder so she turned her head to breathe; she felt the bare skin of his neck immediately. She felt as if she should move, that she had crossed a line but her body was not cooperating with this thought. The tip of her nose was delicately resting on the dip in his neck where his throat met his chest, and despite of herself she could not help but tip her head so that she nuzzled the bare skin there. She felt him intake a sharp breath at her action but he did not move. She wanted to feel more of his skin, the spark and tingle she had felt made her feel alive after so many years of hiding away, and days of feeling her body slip away. She lifted her head so that her nose traced its way up his neck resting once it reached the soft enclave behind his earlobe.

Now it was Legolas that could feel nothing but her breath. Her lips were millimetres away from his ear and her breath was warm and soft on his neck. He could feel his body betraying him as his blood coursed through his veins with a new vigour. He had no idea if she knew what she was doing to him but she would soon as his body strained and ached against his will.

Amy did not know the effect she was having on him but she did know the effect he was having on her. That old familiar burning of desire that she had since but forgotten settled in her stomach and worked its way through her limbs, it fluttered through her but did not quite reach her brain so with startling clarity she stopped and pulled her head back. She hoped that would have the desired effect to quell the unsettling feeling, but instead she found herself face to face with him, staring at that impossibly beautiful face. They were no more than a few inches from it each other and the intensity of his azure gaze did nothing to dampen the fire.

Legolas was as torn as she was. Here she was in his arms, her skin flushed with emotion and her lips parted. Every fibre in his body told him what to do, and if he had known that her thoughts mirrored his exactly he would have obeyed them. Instead, with a shaky breath he loosened his hold on her and raised a hand to brush a wayward strand of her hair from her face. He took them back to that comfortable embrace of two friends. He knew he should say something but found his mouth uncooperative, his mind raced back to what they had last said hoping it would help him form an appropriate response. Finally he let her go so he could sign. " _Thank you, for telling me, for trusting me. I know it must have been hard for you. I want you to always remember that I am here for you, you never need to be afraid about talking to me."_

Amy smiled weakly in response. It seemed he had no idea what had raged through her which thankfully spared her the embarrassment she thought he would have to endure. _"It's fine."_ She finally managed. _"Thank you for listening."_

He could see her awkwardness towards him, Oh Valar had she noticed. She trusted him and all he could think of was how her skin felt. _"Are you sure that you are well?"_

She was acting weird and she knew it, if she did not sort herself out he would know something was up. He knew everything, she did not know how but she swore he could read her thoughts as if they were written in front of him. _"Yes, yes everything is fine. I guess I am just a bit overwhelmed."_

He could not help but stroke her cheek before reigning himself in once more and signing. _"It is to be expected. We have a few more hours before it is time to go, you really should try and get some sleep."_ He smiled easily feeling the tension drain away and was pleased to see her smile in return.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

His heady scent did nothing to ward of the memories of last night or the rather graphic dreams she had experienced once she had fallen back to sleep.

She had never had dreams like that before, it was not as if she was a chaste virgin, she had had sexual encounters before but this was different. This was like a fire burning inside her and despite the cold mist of night it remained small but ardently flickering in her gut.

He had been so kind to her and she had been ready to tell him of her past, a past she had never spoken of to anyone. Had she really closed herself off so much in recent years that the first male who offers her comfort she jumps on like a ravenous animal? It was an uncomfortable feeling. She remembered starkly then his words of before, " _You are no good to us like that."_ He was friend one moment then just like the rest the next. She was Amy one moment, then nothing more than their guide and oracle. She had resented this keenly but over time found herself thinking of him differently, that he cared.

But how much could a Princely elf care about a woman from another world. He did not need to invest time in her, to tell her of his life, but he did. Thoroughly confused with her own feelings and his she tried to push it all out of her mind.

She hoped dearly that they would make it to Edoras soon.

...

The lonely halls of Edoras stood upon their high hill almost shrouded in misery.

"Edoras, and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Theoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Theoden is now very strong." Gandalf announced to all those that could hear. "Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here."

Amy stared high up at the mountain as they entered the sombre city. Everyone was dressed in black marking the death that had befallen their lands. Up high on the steps of Meduseld she saw a female figure dressed in white, a contrast to the black around her and Amy knew at once this was Eowyn.

Silence that was there before or descended upon their arrival surrounded the company and Gimli wondered how silence could be so deafening. He wondered if Amy felt like this all the time, it was almost imprisoning. "You'll find more cheer in a graveyard."

No one said a word after this until they reached the steps leading to the Golden Hall. Gandalf signalled for them to dismount and Legolas immediately went to Amy's aid. She tried to keep her mind blank when he put his hands round her waist to help her off of the horse.

They climbed the stone stairs, and Amy felt every strain of her thigh muscles after growing stiff while riding. Everything seemed familiar, like she had seen this place before.

"I cannot allow you before Theoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Grima Wormtongue." A guard ordered wearily at the company.

Gandalf let a small grumble but nodded in acquiescence and signalled to everyone to remove their weapons. Amy followed suit and felt strangely odd without her bow that she had carried, despite never using it. It amused her to see Gimli hand over his axe reluctantly, his face looked as if he was parting with a loved one.

"Your staff." The guard gestured to Gandalf.

"Hmm?" Gandalf let out another grumble and Amy watched as he hunched slowly taking on the guise of a toiled old man. The change was imperceptible really but very effective. "Oh! You would not part an old man from his walking stick?"

Legolas took hold of Gandalf's arm as if to bear some of the seemingly unbearable weight from the old man's legs. It did the trick and the guard stopped hesitating and gestured for them all to follow him. Amy did not miss the little wink the wizard sent to a smirking Aragorn.

She could see an unctuous looking man clutching at a soiled hanky and whispering into the King's ear, and trailing beside and behind were men dressed in dark clothing fists anxious to fight. She would have happily shrank back into a corner but her pride made her hold her head high and keep up with her companions.

The King himself was a sight she would not easily forget. He looked as if time itself had haunted him for years. He spoke out to the hall but she did not know what he said. All she saw was how he clung to Grima for affirmation.

Grima stood up finally from the side of Theoden's throne and walked towards Gandalf. "A just question, my liege. Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

Amy kept an eye on the hostile figures in black that moved closer and as Gandalf raised his staff they sprung into action. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli immediately responded and the once golden hall looked no different to a bar room brawl.

She had no desire to join in and was pretty sure she would be more of a hindrance than a help but that choice was taken away when she saw one the hired thugs run towards Gandalf. In a split decision she reacted on instinct and ran towards him. She grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back hoping it would at least throw him off balance a bit.

Her plan worked and he fell back but that was the full extent of her plan so she was not prepared when he grabbed a handful of her sleeve and pulled her to the floor with him. She felt pain shoot up her arm into her shoulder as her elbow connected with the stone floor. He seemed unhurt by their tumble and sneered at her when he realised he had been brought down by a woman. She tried to back away and scramble to her feet as the sneer turned an ugly leer but he was too quick. He pushed her back to the ground and straddled her, his right hand grabbed hold of her left arm and pinned it to the floor, whilst his left arm pressed uncomfortably into her throat. She could see that he was saying something and felt his spit hit her face. She struggle wildly and raised her right arm slamming her fist into the side of his face.

She clenched her jaw as the pain radiated in her knuckles. She thought punches were supposed to hurt the other person. She did not think about it for long when he spat blood onto her face. He removed his arm from her throat and tried to grab her right arm. She practically flailed her arm away from him desperate not to be pinned down and managed to backhand him across the face again. She was rewarded with a fist to the jaw and felt as if all the energy had been sucked out of her. Her eyes stopped focussing and her face felt as it was burning. She did not feel it when Legolas hauled the man off of her and slammed him into a pillar, nor when Gimli had to pull the elf from the man after he repeatedly hit him over and over again even after he was long unconscious.

Slowly everything came back into focus and her first feeling was the cold of the flagstone floor seeping into her bones.

She saw Legolas then, his face etched with concern as he helped her to her feet. She risked letting go of him to sign. _"You took your time."_

Relief rushed through him when she smiled awkwardly. He had wiped most of the blood from her face and was glad to find little of it was hers. The already purpling bruise on her jaw was worrying but at least it was not broken.

" _I thought we agreed on running."_ He offered back.

" _I'll definitely do that next time, I promise."_ She leant against him for support feeling nauseous and turned her head towards King as Eowyn knelt before him, tears in her eyes.

"I know your face. Eowyn...Eowyn." The King's eyes were full of clarity and recognition.

Amy did not see what words passed between the wizard and the King but she saw the intent in Theoden's eyes when he spied Grima snivelling at Gimli's feet.

Amy did not follow when Grima was hauled from the hall, instead Legolas made her sit down and ordered for two bowls of warm water to be fetched. No one dared to disobey the strange His hands were gentle as he washed all trace of the man's breath, spit and blood from her face.

" _You will live."_ He signed before turning his attentions to her split knuckles. He cleaned them then dressed them with a clean white cloth. " _You got a good hit in."_

" _Yeah, I won't be doing that again. I think it hurt me more than it hurt him."_

" _He'll be exiled with the rest of them."_

She saw the tremor in his jaw and the flash of anger in his eyes, she got the feeling that he wanted to do more than exile him. _"Thank you, for not letting my face get smashed in."_

" _I have grown quite fond of your face."_

" _Is that a compliment?"_ She sat on her hands immediately after that not trusting them and their flirtatiousness anymore.

Legolas smiled in response but before he could sign anything the court along with the King returned to the great hall. His face was still rejuvenated but now it carried a great sadness.

"What is wrong?" Legolas asked Aragorn in elvish.

"The King's son is dead."

...

The funeral of Theodred was hard. Amy had not been to a funeral since the one of her mother's and despite the strange setting and language the similarities would always remain. The wind seemed particularly cold and biting just like it had when her mother was put into the ground. She thought she had come to terms with her mother's death but the scene she had caused on the plains of Rohan with Legolas made her severely doubt that. She supposed you could never truly deal with something like this, especially such a violent death. People said time healed and that eventually you move on but never forget. She wondered who these people were. How could you ever move on when she had lost so much? She looked at Theoden, how could he move on when he had lost his only child?

...

It felt strange to be amongst people again, amongst civilisation after what had seemed so long in the wild. She realised that this was the first time she had been amongst humans properly for a long while now. There was a different energy. An energy that was more familiar to her and yet she struggled to draw any comfort from it.

She watched as Aragorn restlessly paced the hall. Gimli seemed at home especially when food was placed in front of him, he joyfully ate it all up. The people of the court of Rohan were friendly enough, but is disconcerted her when they bowed before her, and fetched her food and drink she had not asked for. This feeling was added to by the watchful stare of Eowyn who had scarce taken her eyes off Amy since the end of the funeral. She was glad when the shield maiden turned her attentions to Aragorn and engaged him in conversation.

"My lord, Aragorn."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement and stopped pacing. "My lady, I thank you for your kind hospitality and extend again my apologies at your loss, for Rohan's loss."

"Thanks must be given to you for lifting the hold of Saruman over the King. You have restored him to us."

"I did little."

"But you have come nonetheless to our aid. Tell me, who are your companions? It is not often we see such faces in our halls."

"The dwarf is Gimli, son of Gloin from the Glittering Caves, and the elf is Legolas, he comes from Mirkwood in the north."

"And the woman?"

He picked up her interest immediately. "That is Amy from London."

"London? I have not heard of such a place."

"She is a very long way from home."

Eowyn could see he was being cryptic but pressed for more. "She signs with the elf?"

"She does not speak, nor can she hear. Legolas and Gandalf are the only ones who understand it. I have the odd word and phrases but not like them."

"She is deaf?! Yet she travels in the companion of such warriors as yourself." Eowyn sounded almost disbelieving. If she knew Amy she would know that Amy was just as disbelieving. "What is her purpose?"

Aragorn was unsure what to say, unsure whether or not to share too much information. He saw no malice, however, in Eowyn's questioning only wonder. "She is somewhat of a guide to us."

Eowyn seemed satisfied with this and turned her attention back to the elf and the woman as they spoke their language of signs.

All of a sudden the calm of the hall was disturbed as Theoden and Gandalf strode back into the hall followed by a guard holding a small boy in his arms and little girl clinging to his tails.

"Fetch some food and water!" Called Theoden as others in the hall rushed towards them to lend a hand.

Eowyn immediately took hold of the boy from the guard and placed him on the nearest table. "Pass me that blanket."

The little girl was frightened as the large people rushed around and the guard she had attached herself to also moved away. She wanted to be taken care of like her brother by the nice blond lady. That was when she noticed another blond lady, and so she hesitantly walked over to Amy and tentatively took her hand.

Amy felt the small cold hand in hers and looked down to see teary eyes staring up at her. The confusion of the hall added to the confusion Amy always felt because of her lack of hearing so she was surprised to see another small child. She knelt down and used her free hand to wipe away the girl's first tear that escaped. At Amy's acceptance the girl let some more tears go in relief, and her little hand reached up to touch Amy's face in return.

Amy did not realise it but the little girl was tracing the purple mark that was steadily growing and marring her jaw. Her touch was so gentle that it was not felt over the already burning sensation that Amy could feel.

Amy had always loved small children; they were funny and the least judgemental humans on the planet. They accepted everything around them easily and often when she used to visit friends that had children they would happily talk to her despite her not knowing what they were saying, kind of like the hobbits. She pulled the small girl to her and picked her up, pleased when the girl immediately wrapped her arms round her neck. She began to bounce her slightly as she paced up and down, something she remembered her mother doing with to her whenever she fell over and grazed her knee.

The young boy had come round, the warmth flooding back into his cheeks.

"Come you must be hungry." Eowyn helped the boy from the table and guided him to sit.

Amy brought the little girl to the table also and popped her down next to her brother and felt a surge of joy upon seeing the little girl's face light up upon seeing her brother up and better, her tears immediately gone. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze before leaving them to their food. Eowyn seemed to have everything under control as she was talking to the boy trying to find out what had happened to them.

Theoden returned to his throne with Gandalf at his side until Eowyn could give him some information.

"I think Theoden is about to find out just how bad Rohan has been plagued by evil." Aragorn muttered to Legolas.

"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree." Eowyn told of the children's story.

Amy could see the little girl was growing distressed again and went to sit beside her, helping her pick up a heavy glass of water. When she had drank she asked of Amy, "Where is mama?!"

Amy did not catch all of it but she did lip read 'mama.' She felt the hurt and pain of losing her mama and dearly hoped that this girl would not feel the same. There was nothing to say so she just gently stroked the girl's hair hoping it would give her some comfort. The boy smiled kindly at her, almost as if he was thanking her for not saying anything, she could see that he did not hold out much hope for their mother. She didn't follow the conversation between the men instead preferring to make sure the little girl ate up all her soup.

Eventually whatever had been discussed was no longer under discussion and Eowyn knelt before the children. "Now then, let's get you to bed. Say goodnight to Lady Amy here."

When they were out of sight she found herself absent of what to do or where to go. She had been following others for so long with or without her will that she had no idea of what she was supposed to do now that she was alone.

But she was not alone. His hand on her shoulder made her jump but she instantly relaxed when she saw it was him.

" _Sorry. There must be a way I can get your attention without scaring the life out of you."_ Legolas apologised.

" _Well if you work out please let me know."_ She paused then asked of the discussion she was not part of. _"So what happens now, what does Theoden want to do now?"_

Legolas smiled slightly. " _Surely you already know the answer?"_

" _Well that depends on where we are in the timeline. Things are not always as I remember them."_ Legolas frowned at this so she continued. _"As long as we get to where we need to be everything will be fine."_ She rushed the last part of the sentence so she could cover her mouth with her hand as she yawned.

" _For now the only place you need to get to is to bed. Come on, I'll show where your room is for the night, Eowyn has found you one fit for a lady."_

She did not care if she was to sleep in the stables; all she wanted was somewhere soft and warm to lay her head down.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

" _Did you sleep well?"_

She nodded although the yawn that crept through suggested otherwise. _"I feel a bit lightheaded though, I suppose that's normal when someone attempts to break your face. Yourself?"_

Legolas had paled somewhat at her choice of phrase, and he had to fight down the growing rage he felt when thinking of what happened. The bruise had now come through completelymarring her skin with purple, blue and green. " _I am sufficiently rested."_ He managed to sign.

" _Yes I suppose you don't really sleep, you elves."_

" _We can sleep if wish. We do so when completely relaxed, like when we are in our own beds for instance, and there isn't danger knocking on our door."_

" _Always on high alert, that brain of yours worrying about something or other."_

" _Something like that. Let me fetch you some breakfast."_ He rose quickly and set about his task. He had worried all night, worried about her. He could not get the image of the man pinning her to the ground out of his head, it had sickened him as he paced his room for the majority of the night. He had given up on the notion of resting as dawn crept slowly up so had left his room to stalk the corridors of Edoras. His unsettled mind was greeted by another when he stumbled upon Aragorn matching his own restless energy. Their conversation echoed in his head.

"You would think days of running would have tired us out." Aragorn said to welcome his friend's presence at this early hour of the morning.

"You speak of yourself in this, elves do not get tired."

"You and I both know that is only partially true. And I seem to recall that you Legolas are particularly fond of your bed."

Legolas smiled at this. "So what tears you away from a restful slumber then my friend?"

"King Theoden will make his decision this morning, and I fear Gandalf will not like it."

"Do you believe Theoden to be wrong?"

"If he takes the decision I believe he will then perhaps he is wrong. Yet, he wants what is best for his people, how can that be wrong?"

"A King can only rule as he believes is right, that is all any King can do." Legolas paused and studied his friend and saw now what was really keeping him awake. "You fear making the wrong decision, you fear making a wrong decision for your friends, for your people."

"I have no people."

"We both know that is not true. You are worried that you will have to face such a decision in your future when you are King."

"Do not say 'when,' that future is not certain."

"But you want it to be, despite your desire to roam free as a ranger; you wish to take up your throne."

"I do not know what I wish."

"I think you do. I think that you have to claim your throne in order for Elrond to allow you and Arwen to be together, and for her you would do anything."

Aragorn was lost in his thoughts so did not reply straight away, his mind thinking back to his discussion with Gandalf. It was abrupt then when he finally spoke and asked a question of Legolas. "Why did you join the Fellowship?"

Legolas looked at the man curiously. "For the same reasons you did, duty."

"My dear friend, you are a terrible liar. Of all the elves Lord Elrond could have picked out, it was not your duty to come."

Legolas bristled slightly at this. "It is every elf's duty to aid in this fight. Why should it not be me that stands by your side?" Legolas tried not let his temper flare. "Besides, it was not one of Lord Elrond's house that you trusted to guard the creature Gollum. Nor was it one of Lord Elrond's house that failed you."

Aragorn saw a flicker of shame on his friend's face and felt his own remorse instantly. "You did not fail anyone. We know not what part Gollum has left to play. The elves of Mirkwood showed him kindness which is something I am sure he had not been shown in many years."

Legolas smiled slightly. "It has been many years since the wood elves of Mirkwood were called kind so I thank you for that my friend."

"I am still surprised that the King, your father, would command that you should deliver the message of Gollum's escape." Aragorn noticed the change in Legolas immediately. He would have gone as far as to say that the elf looked nervous.

"He did not exactly command it. I insisted I be the one to deliver the news."

"Why?"

Legolas considered shrugging for a brief moment but knew that Aragorn would not accept that for an answer. "I wanted to get out of Mirkwood for a little while."

Aragorn heard Legolas falter on the word 'wanted' but did not push that for the moment. "That is unlike you. I have known many a time when no amount of persuasiveness could get you to leave your beloved Mirkwood. Especially when Orcs are closing in on your borders."

If there was accusation in Aragorn's tone Legolas did not hear it, he was too busy accusing himself. He had felt the guilt keenly ever since he had left his forested home leaving others to stem the tide of Orcs and other dark creatures that ever encroached upon his homeland.

Aragorn now decided to push. "Is that why you joined the Fellowship, because you wanted to leave Mirkwood?"

Legolas shook his head. "I did not want to leave. You said it yourself. It takes a lot to get me to leave my home." He admitted. "I just needed to get away for a while.

"You do not need to tell me ought you do not wish, but it will do you no good holding onto secrets. This is not some adventure for you to pass the time on, this is as close as you can get to a damn suicide mission!" Aragorn's voice rose and Legolas' grew cold in answer.

"I have no need of a lecture, I am no elfling that needs instruction and direction from you! Do you think I am so naive and impulsive that I would risk my peoples' lives so I could go on some kind of jolly? I seek no pleasure nor glory from this!"

"Then why did you come?!" Aragorn was unrelenting.

"You ask as if you do not want me here. Tell me, have you questioned Gimli so?!"

Aragorn slumped heavily against the cold wall and ran a frustrated hand over his forehead. "As a matter of fact, yes I did." Aragorn began more softly this time. "He gave me nearly as big an earful as you. I am sorry Legolas, I should have learnt my lesson."

"Are you not satisfied with our companionship?"

Aragorn looked up sharply. "No, no! Of course not. I...I only seek the true reasons you are hear if only to ease the burden a little."

"Who's burden, yours or mine?"

Aragorn could not help but smile a little when Legolas got to the meat of the matter in an instant. "Mine. Selfishly." The man finally answered. "I wanted to know that if I led you to your death, was it because you swore to follow me no matter what or that you were here for other reasons. I think it would be easier if you were here for another reason. To assuage my guilt if you will."

"You act as if you have already led us to our peril. I am sure Gimli will have said very much the same thing, but apparently it bears repeating. We do not blindly follow you Aragorn. We trust you, more than you trust yourself it would seem. We will not forsake you but that does not mean we will willingly go to our deaths. I am not afraid to challenge your decisions if needs be." He clasped the man's shoulder. "You are not alone in this, we are not mere followers, we are your friends. Let any guilt be gone now."

"Would that I trusted in you as you do in me. Perhaps I would not have offended you in my questioning. I am sorry Legolas."

"No harm is done and besides," the elf relented, "I was not totally honest with you as to my reasoning for being here."

"I said I would not pry and yet I cannot help but want to know what could have possibly made you want to leave Mirkwood. Surely, your father will not be happy that you did not return immediately from the council?"

"I think that is an understatement. He will be positively livid." Legolas let a sad smile grace his lips before beginning to pace slightly. "I have been living under an ultimatum for many years now. More than I care to remember. An ultimatum from my father."

Aragorn was listening intently now. "What kind of ultimatum?"

"He wants me to marry." Legolas answered simply.

Aragorn was taken aback and not even quite sure of what he had heard. "I'm sorry?"

"Ada wants me to get married and gave me fifty years to find someone. If I did not he would do it for me. Unfortunately, I am out of time."

"But that is ridiculous, you are elves, immortal! There is no need for you to be married, especially to someone you do not love."

Aragorn was right but Legolas still felt the need to defend his father's actions somewhat. "Mirkwood is not like Imladris or Lorien. Elves die there more frequently than anywhere else. There is no guarantee there that I will survive beyond my father. He wants me to produce multiple heirs to secure our line. He feels that he failed when he only produced one son, and ever since my mother died I think he has wanted to sail West and leave me in charge. But he will not leave Mirkwood's future unsecure and for that I must find a wife."

"You said you were out of time, is that why you insisted on delivering the message to the council, to buy more time?"

Legolas let out an exhausted laugh. "If only. No my time was up long ago. I said this was no jolly escapade for me, it is an escape."

Aragorn saw now the desperate and mournful look on his friends face. What could he say? Sorry did not seem enough. "Legolas I..."

"It is all right Aragorn, you do not need to apologise." The elf said as if he could read the man's thoughts. "I will do my duty just as you will do yours. I am in no rush to be King but I will not desert my people."

"Let us not bother the dawn speaking of Kings and duty. But I must ask you this, what of Amy?"

"Amy?"

"It was duty that disturbed my sleep but it is not what got you out of bed in the first place. She plays on your mind."

"I don't know what you are talking about." His feigned denial did not even sound convincing to his own ears.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "I saw the state of the man you dragged off Amy. They say he is lucky to live, apparently every one of his ribs was broken or fractured."

Legolas felt his fist clench at the thought of the man, no animal, he had 'dragged' off of her. "Am I to be kind to mercenaries now?"

Aragorn bowed his head in frustration. "I've never known you to lose your control like that."

There was no point lying really, he knew Aragorn could see right through him now, but it was difficult to say, to admit what he was feeling. "I wanted to kill him." The admission shocked both Aragorn and himself. "When I saw her there, her face covered in blood and him leering over her I lost it. All I wanted to do was destroy him."

Aragorn could see the self-loathing on his friends face, elves did not want to destroy things by their very nature so this new feeling obviously both enraged and sickened the elf before him. "If someone was to hurt Arwen, if her life was in danger by the hands of someone, I think I would find it very hard not to rip them apart with my bare hands."

He knew what Aragorn was getting at, and he shut his eyes for a second to gather himself. "What am I doing? She is not my possession to guard, she is my friend, I should not be acting like some mindless thug storming to her aid like some sort of would be hero."

"It seems returning home to a loveless marriage is not the only thing that weighs on your heart."

Legolas smirked coldly. "It seems the hands of time are playing a cruel trick on me. Showing what was possible when I have not the time to pursue."

"Pursue? You wish to pursue your feelings for her? Legolas, she is human, she is a human from another world, if you pursue you are opening yourself up to eternal heartbreak." Aragorn did not sugar coat it, that is not what his friend needed, and Aragorn was well placed to know what was at stake for him. "Nevermind that, what your father will think of it!"

"I know this! And yet I cannot stay away from her, I cannot look at her without wanting to hold her, I cannot speak to her without wanting to tell her how much I care, I cannot sleep at night without thinking of the ways her human body could be hurt and knowing that I may not always be there." He paused shaking his head. "And this is the most inconvenient time to be falling in love. Anyone would think there was no war raging!" The words were out of his mouth before his brain could tell his heart to be quiet.

"Is that what you are doing? Falling in love?"

"I do not know, either that or I am going mad."

"There is a fine line between the two." Aragorn said to ease the mood. "I am guessing that you have said none of this to her."

"She trusts me, she believes I am her friend, some friend I am."

"You are her friend, and I would wager her closest friend right now."

"She is so lost, lost in her own world, and lost in ours. I want to help her and comfort her but I find myself just being sucked in deeper and deeper, until...well until I am beating man to death. We should never have made her come with us. Galadriel was wrong. Gandalf is wrong."

"Legolas!"

"Did anyone ask her to come with us? Did anyone ever consider what she wanted! We all just thought of ourselves."

Aragorn was silent at this. He could not argue and in his guilt he ignored the elf's questions.

"You have a decision to make my friend and there is a lot at stake in your final choice. Either way I cannot see how a resolution will suit you all." Aragorn squeezed Legolas' shoulder tightly. "I am in no position to dissuade you but I know your father will not approve of a human and I dare not encourage you to risk it all for a woman who is not even from this world. I am sorry Legolas. I am going to get an hour's rest before breakfast, I suggest you do the same."

Legolas did not heed Aragorn's advice and instead remained out on the steps to Edoras until the city stirred.

He shook the thoughts from his head when he had fetched the breakfast he had intended to get and return to Amy who was looking at him strangely. After placing it before her he asked, " _What is it?"_

" _You do not have to fetch me breakfast, and besides since you are a Prince shouldn't I be fetching you breakfast?"_

He smiled. _"It is tradition for the men of Rohan to serve the ladies of the court breakfast."_

" _You aren't a man and I am no 'lady of the court.'"_ She countered.

He did not want to be made more aware of their differences, not this morning after his conversation with Aragorn. _"Today you are, and so you will be until we vacate Rohan. You helped free the King, you are a hero of Rohan."_

She raised an eyebrow at this. _"I would hardly call myself that, but fine, while you are being so dutiful could you fetch me my bag?"_

" _Where is it?"_

" _There."_ She pointed right beside her.

" _You could fetch that yourself quite comfortably."_

She was the one who smiled now. _"Well since I am a lady of the court perhaps you should indulge me!"_

She was most definitely teasing him now and he could not help but enjoy it, especially the smile it brought to her face. He reached over the table and pulled the bag up then slid it towards her. " _Here you are, my lady."_

" _Thank you kind sir."_ She reached in and pulled out the half empty jar of peanut butter. She had to stop herself from bursting out with laughter when Legolas' eyes widened with delight.

" _I thought you used it all?!"_

" _No we have just enough left to get us through this quest."_ She joked. _"I was saving it for an emergency, and this porridge is an emergency. You had better get yours so we can liven them up with some of this before Gimli gets here. One whiff of this and we won't be having anymore._ " She did not need to tell him twice as he shot up to get his own breakfast.

After the peanut butter had been spooned out and mixed in with their water drowned overcooked oats she hid the sacred jar away in her bag just in time. Gimli arrived with an overflowing bowl of porridge and sat heavily next to Amy shaking the bench and table with his ungainly movements.

"Good morning Gimli." Legolas greeted.

"I don't know what is so good about it; it is too early to be up after so many restless days and this," he jabbed at the porridge hatefully with his spoon, "is even beyond saving for a dwarf's palette and I'll have you know that we dwarves are not fussy eaters!"

Legolas tried to hide his grin as he replied. "It is not so bad." No it wasn't so bad when you had stirred in two tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter. " _He is complaining about breakfast."_ Legolas then signed to fill Amy in on the conversation.

" _I don't know what he means, I have had a wonderful breakfast. Warm peanut butter served to me by a Prince."_

" _Well perhaps when this is all over you could come to Mirkwood and return the favour."_ Again Legolas found that his heart was high jacking the conversation, and yet he could not regret his words when she smiled brightly.

Amy had smiled at this but when Legolas turned his head away to talk to Gimli her smile faltered. 'When this is all over,' She had not given much thought to what she would do when this was all over. What would she do after this? Live out her days in Middle Earth, maybe she could become a baker here. But where would she live? Sure she could visit Legolas in Mirkwood but could she live there? He had not offered for her to live there, and would it not be strange if not a little intimidating to be the only human amongst elves. Maybe she could live in Gondor, but that seemed a little too far away from Mirkwood and Legolas, she realised now she would not want to be parted from him for too long. It occurred to her then that he would not be in Mirkwood, her brain had retained some detail of the future of Middle Earth, Legolas would go to Ithilian. That was relatively near to Gondor when considering the distance between the White City and Mirkwood. Maybe she was meant to stay in Gondor, maybe Aragorn would employ her in the kitchens to make bread and cakes for the court. She could do that. And now staying in Middle Earth did not seem so bad after all. What did seem bad was the headache that was growing behind her eyes, she pinched the bridge of her nose to try and ease some of the pain but it didn't work. She had some paracetamol in her bag but she knew that there were only two tablets left and since she was staying here they would have to be left until an emergency. She took a long sip of her water and decided to keep herself hydrated and try not to move her jaw so much.

It was not long before the diners had come and gone and the main hall only occupied by the remains of the Fellowship and King Theoden who looked as if he had had as little sleep as Legolas and Aragorn.

"I have made my decision Gandalf. I know you think we should ride out and meet our foes but I will not bring open war on my people. We go to Helm's Deep, I will protect my people."

She knew what Theoden had decided to do. She did not need to see Gandalf storm from the hall with Aragorn and Legolas in quick succession, nor hear Hama begin the call for the city to empty, she knew Theoden would choose Helm's Deep. And because she knew she decided not to follow the man, wizard or elf. Instead she rubbed at her temples trying to dispel the headache once more. She knew she needed to speak to Gandalf about Eomer, she resolved to do it as soon as possible, just as soon as she had had another nap. The light headedness had evolved into downright dizziness and suddenly it seemed very cold in the hallway. 'This is the worst time to get ill!' She cursed herself, although she was surprised she had lasted this long anyway considering the trials she had put her body through. She desperately tried to push the sickening feeling that washed over her every time she move her head, knowing full well regurgitated porridge was not a pretty sight. 'I need to lie down.' She stood slowly and began making her way back to her room hoping that another glass of water and a quick nap would sort her out. She did not register the soft yelp a servant girl made when she ultimately swayed violently and collapsed on the floor meters from the door of her room.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"She has a fever, one minute she is shivering the next burning up. She has not awoken since she fainted although there is no sign of injury." Eowyn told Aragorn. "I am not sure what to do for her."

Aragorn patted Eowyn on the hand as a gesture of thanks before kneeling beside Amy's bed. He placed a hand on her forehead and could feel the heat burning deep. He took a cold wet cloth from the bowl of water Eowyn had placed beside him and put it to her head.

With his free hand he gently pulled down her lower lids to look at their colour. Eowyn knelt beside him with a curious look on her face. "What are you doing?"

"I am checking the strength of her blood. The pink here shows her blood is weak. Here..." He repeated the same action on his own lower lid revealing a deep red to the tissue. "That is what they should look like."

"How can we remedy this?"

"She needs food and water, and rest. The things we have had little of over many days. She was strong to make it this far." Eowyn heard it, the guilt in his voice. "She will come round soon, I am sure of it, she just needs some..."

Aragorn did not finish his sentence as the door to Amy's room flung open. He saw Legolas' ashen face and thought his friend would launch into a tirade of questions but instead the elf just stood there in the doorway as if frozen by fear. Aragorn pulled himself up and gestured for Eowyn to follow him. As they reached the door the man placed a hand on the elf's arm and cold blue eyes snapped to his.

"She will be fine, she collapsed, but she will be fine. She needs rest, food and water. I trust you will watch over her." Aragorn knew the answer even though Legolas made no action to the affirmative. "Come find me if her fever gets worse, and when she wakes get some green vegetables into her."

Legolas moved into the room to let them pass but Aragorn lingered for a second. "She is human, and we get sick, but we are strong Legolas. Do not fear overmuch." He said this in Elvish to spare the words from Eowyn's ears, but she could see what was so clear on Legolas' face. When they had left the room she could not help but express this to Aragorn.

"He loves her." It was not a question.

Aragorn's smile was sad. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is when you know what to look for." Her words held an undercurrent of her own feelings but she did not dwell on it. "She does not love him?"

"I do not know, it is difficult. She is not aware of Legolas' feelings."

"Often is one party blind to the other's feelings. I confess it seems strange that an elf would fall in love with a human."

Intrigued by this Aragorn pushed. "Is that so?"

"Well I always believed they considered us lowly, that we were not fit for their kind."

Aragorn felt her words keenly. He had often thought he was not fit for their kind and yet their most beautiful princess had given him her heart. "They are not as cold as humans often think they are."

"You speak from experience? You speak their words as if they were your own."

"I grew up in Rivendell, their words are now my own. Humans have nothing to fear from the elves, and yet I am sad to say it may be too late for man to really know of the elves."

"I do not quite understand?"

Aragorn helped Eowyn ready the city for the exit to Helms Deep whilst telling her the stories of the elves, and how they were leaving this land and returning to Valinor.

Legolas had little on his mind of elven tales and history, instead all he could think about was the girl in front of him. Amy's temperature had come down but her face was still very pale, and occasionally her body would shiver uncontrollably. Legolas had seen human's get sick before, he had seen human's die of sickness before but never before had he felt so useless and terrified.

He stroked her cheek while he held the cold cloth on her head. "What have you done to me?" He whispered the words. No one had ever called Legolas a coward, nor even thought such a thing but he felt a coward as the words left his mouth. "I love you Amy." He knew she could not hear him, nor lip read him in her current state but he needed to say it. He needed to hear himself say it so it was real, and now he had said it he knew it was true. He had fought with it all night trying to deny it, he did not know whether it was just time he had needed or the jolt of seeing her so frail, but as he ran gentle thumb over the purpling bruise on her jaw there were no more conflicting feelings, no more questions, just the raw emotion. He loved her and now his only question was what should he do about it?

So deep in his thoughts was he that it almost made him jump when her eyes fluttered open. She looked disorientated at first but soon enough her eyes focused on Legolas and too his relief and delight she smiled.

Her head felt light and every time she blinked she felt slightly nauseous but thankfully the pounding in her head had disappeared. She did not need to look around to know she was in her room and the cold damp cloth on her head told her Legolas had been looking after her. She thought she would be embarrassed but there was something about the way he had been looking at her when she had woken that made her feel something different. She un-tucked her arms from under the blanket placed over her and signed. _"I fainted didn't I?"_

He removed the cloth and pushed her hair back from her forehead before answering. _"Yes. Aragorn said you are weak and need food and rest."_

" _It's the anaemia."_

Legolas tried to decipher the strange sign and even when she spelled it out it meant nothing to him so she explained. _"It's when your blood does not have enough iron in it; it makes you weak and groggy. I usually take iron tablets if I am feeling a bit low but I guess I forgot to pack those on my trip here!"_

" _There is something wrong with your blood?"_

Amy could see the concern on his face and she guessed that to him anaemia sounded worse than it was. _"No it's not something wrong it's just, I guess, a bit weaker than most people's blood. Some people have severe anaemia; I just mostly get it when I'm feeling a bit run down or at that time of the month."_ She immediately wished she hadn't had signed that last part and hoped that he would not ask her to explain the colloquial term.

" _Aragorn said you need to eat lots of green vegetables."_

She could not hide the disgust on her face. _"If I must. They contain iron so Aragorn is right, it doesn't mean I have to like it."_

He could not help but smile slightly, she seemed okay, and her childish pouting at eating her vegetables only served to lighten his heart of any worry. _"I was worried about you."_ He did not know why he needed to tell her but it felt right.

" _I think most humans, Aragorn excluded, would collapse after running all that way!"_ She tried to keep it light but could see the residual anguish that had marred his face in his eyes. _"I am fine, like you said I just need some food and some sleep."_

" _I am afraid there is not much time for sleep. We leave for Helms Deep in an hour."_

" _What if I hadn't have woken up? Would you have left me here?!"_

He could tell she was joking, she was trying to make him feel better, trying to ease his worries. _"Well I thought about it but decided I should probably carry you to Helms Deep."_

" _Well I would not want to be a burden!"_

He smiled brightly now and she was pleased to see the remaining tension drain from his jaw. _"You may still need carrying if you do not recover your strength."_

Panic suddenly reached her eyes. _"How long was I out?"_

" _A few hours, why what is wrong?"_

" _Gandalf? I need to speak to Gandalf!"_

" _He has gone."_

" _Gone."_ Amy's mind raced. That was right that Gandalf left to get help but she had needed to talk to him, to warn him that something had changed. That Eomer was missing.

" _What is wrong Amy?"_ He knelt down beside the bed and placed a hand on her head checking to see if her temperature was rising again.

She did not know what to do. Did she tell Legolas? Why had it never occurred to anyone to tell Amy what she should do if something was different. She decided to keep it to herself for a little longer, at least until she could be sure what difference it would it make. _"Nothing, I just needed to talk to him. It is fine."_ She could see the sceptical look on his face but he did not push.

" _I will go and fetch you some food, will you will alright?"_

" _I am sure I can stay out of trouble whilst you are gone, although I am not sure you should be serving me again!"_

" _I am becoming quite fond of it."_ He signed before leaving the room. He took a few moments to himself when closing the door behind him before rushing off to find her some food that had not been packed away. The relief at seeing her face and hands animated was palpable. She looked drained and her skin was so pale it was almost translucent but her eyes were full of life. He took a deep breath and continued on his way.

...

Amy did not think she had seen that many people before in a long line. A walking caravan of men, women and children slowly made their way out of Edoras and the surrounding areas beginning the long walk to Helms Deep. She could feel the vibration of their feet, and carts and horses through her body as she held onto Legolas' arm. Whenever she moved too quickly her head swam but she felt a lot better than she had that morning. All she had to do was make it to Arod without stumbling or fainting and all would be well. Legolas had indeed threatened to carry her but she convinced him she was fine to walk; now all she needed to do was convince herself.

" _Now are you going to argue if I help you up?"_ Legolas asked when they thankfully reached Arod without a mishap.

She looked up at the horse's back which seemed higher up than it ever had before and considered how likely it would be that she would end up on the floor. _"I may need a hand."_

He smiled wryly before gently holding her round the waist and lifting her as if she weighed nothing up onto the horse. He quickly jumped up and joined her concerned that she may fall from her dizziness.

He had always sat in front of her whenever they had ridden together but this time he sat behind her and wrapped one arm securely round her waist. She tried not to tense up, knowing that he was just trying to keep her safe, but could not help but feel the positioning was very intimate. She did not feel uncomfortable, which was why she felt a little unsure. She felt completely at ease like this, his arm pressed to her stomach, his hand resting on her hip, his torso running along the length of her back, and her bottom pressed decidedly in between his legs. She felt her stomach tighten and the memory of that night on the Rohan plains swam hazily at the back of her mind.

She tried to push the memory away but the feel of his skin beneath hers was too strong a thought to get out of her head.

He felt her tense and wondered if she had taken a turn for the worse so pulled her even tighter towards him as he spurred Arod on to a gentle walk.

Legolas was not helping her predicament as she became achingly aware of every place their bodies were touching. She tried to relax but with every calming breath she took she could feel how the undulating nature of breathing shifted her body against his.

She remembered vividly a conversation she had once had with Katie when they were a lot younger and supposedly more foolish.

" _So what happened with you and Ed last night?"_

" _I don't know what you are talking about?"_ Katie's devilish smile gave away the truth.

" _Oh come on, one minute you two were all over each other at the party and the next you were gone. And it is definitely not like you to leave a party early!"_

" _Okay okay I confess I left with Ed. But despite the rumours we did not do what everyone thinks we did. It was nice; we just walked for ages and talked about things."_

" _Well that is a lot more boring than I thought this conversation would be!"_ Amy frowned but only jokingly, she was pleased that her friend had had such a nice time, and Ed had definitely gone up in her estimations. Katie just smiled in response lost in the memory. _"You've gone all gooey eyed over him."_

" _I think he could be the one."_

" _The one?"_ Amy did not know whether to cringe or lap up the romance.

" _Yes, he is just so wonderful. It was the way he held me, our bodies so close that you can feel every part of you that touched him and it's like electric. Do you know what I mean?"_

Amy hadn't known what Katie had meant, but she had a funny feeling she did now. Incidentally Ed had not been the one, that turned out to be Chris, Ed turned out to be a bit of a prick actually when he dumped Katie for a hearing girl with 32F breasts, but that is a different story.

Despite her musings she was still struggling to relax. She chided herself for behaving like a hormonal teenager, and wondered when exactly your hormones stopped ruling your body. She supposed they never truly did relinquish control and decided that all this thinking about hormones was definitely not helping. In fact all it was doing was making her headache come back.

As if he knew what she was feeling Legolas halted Arod briefly so he could sign to her. He put both arms round her so she could see his hands. _"You need some rest. Sleep, I won't let you fall."_

He was right and she had nothing to say in reply. Instead she leant her head back against his chest and closed her eyes hoping sleep would come quickly. She felt him secure his arm back around her and Arod begin to move again with the caravan of people. She even felt the vibration in his chest as he held a conversation with someone, perhaps Aragorn. She would never be sure of it but just as sleep claimed her that she felt him press a small kiss to the top of her head.

…...

As the caravan drove to a halt to rest for the night Legolas brought Arod to a gentle stop and tried not to wake Amy as he lifted her from the horse and placed her on a bedroll that had been laid out for her. The fire beside it was warm and inviting and he hoped it would keep her asleep for a while yet.

"She seems a lot better." Aragorn spoke softly.

"Yes, it seems you were right and I had nothing to worry about."

"And yet we will always worry about those we care for."

Legolas nodded and tried and tear his attention away from her sleeping form. "Do you think we will reach Helms Deep in good time?"

"I hope so, it terrifies me to have the old and young sleeping out here on what could be a battlefield very soon."

...

Dawn had only just begun to bother the horizon when Amy awoke with a start, a strange dream disappearing quickly from her consciousness as she became aware of her surroundings. She was not surprised to see that many were already awake and packing up to get moving again, she was even less surprised to see Legolas up and about helping to ready the horses. She realised that she was missing a large part of yesterday and could only assume that Legolas had carried her to her current position. She tried to remember the dream that had startled her awake, but the more she thought about the less clear it all became until she was fishing for a memory that did no longer existed.

She stood up a little too quickly and remembered instantly why she had been so prone to sleeping recently. Everything swayed a little but there was no nauseous follow up, she must be feeling better.

She saw the moment Legolas became aware of her and saw something flash over his face, an emotion that was gone in a second and replaced by his usual controlled face. She had seen that look before when she had woken up after her rather embarrassing fainting spell, and now she could feel that fluttering in her stomach again. She knew that look, deep down inside she knew that look.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

She had told him she needed to walk, that the constant swaying of Arod was not helping and that she really did feel strong enough for a little exercise. He seemed convinced but he handed Arod over to Gimli so he could walk also and keep a close eye on her.

She had been right though, the walking seemed to do her good and by the afternoon she felt almost like her usual self, and had had decidedly enough of that lembas bread Aragorn kept forcing her to eat. Whatever was in it certainly did the trick as she felt energised but she was sure she would never be able to eat again the way it sat heavily in her stomach.

As she walked there was no point in her really trying to keep up with the conversations happening around her, she was still none the wiser as to why Gimli had come off Arod earlier. And so she let her mind wonder taking in her surroundings and the faces around her. Vividly her dream of the night before began to come back to her, as often is the case with dreams that you tried so desperately to hang onto in the morning.

Elves were dying, and Aragorn was falling, rocks splintering through some new force. The images were so bright it was as if she had seen them in a movie. Although Amy was a fairly intelligent woman it did take her a few moments to clock onto the fact that that was exactly where she had seen them. She stopped abruptly. How could she have been so stupid? She knew there had been a film made. The problem was she had not seen them so knowing that there were films made the situation no easier. Except that was not entirely true. She had seen one, or at least parts of one. She had been on a long haul flight and the film showing was The Two Towers. She did not pay much attention as there were no subtitles but some of the images had been branded in her mind.

" _I think you need to get back on the horse, you look tired."_ Legolas was in front of her now.

She was tired but how did she explain to him it was not her body that was tired anymore but her mind from the endless questions. How did she explain that there was also a film of his world and that there were some seemingly big differences between what she knew and what the film showed? How did she explain she had no idea what she was supposed to be following?

She cursed herself then and there for not giving in and getting a rental copy of the Lord of the Rings films complete with subtitles and watching the damn things.

But did it really matter? Gandalf had made it clear that she was not really there to guide them, and she had agreed that they were guiding themselves pretty well and anything she said was probably just undermining their future actions.

She looked over to Aragorn and wondered if he would fall, should she say something? It was not imperative to the story, the book showed that, so why let him go through that unnecessary struggle. But interfering in the past had not really changed anything so perhaps staying quiet was the better idea. Either way Amy was no clearer on what she was actually doing here in the first place.

She was clear on something, however, something that she did understand. Eowyn rarely left Aragorn's side and she seemed so absorbed in everything he said. It was obvious to Amy what Eowyn was feeling even if she had never read the books and known this to be coming. She felt a pang of sadness for the shield maiden then, one she had never felt before when reading of her affections for the ranger. To see it in real life was something completely different to reading words on a page, and seeing the affection pass across the Lady of Rohan's face made Amy really feel the isolation Eowyn must have felt before meeting Aragorn. She drew some comfort though from knowing that Eowyn would find her happiness with someone as noble as Aragorn.

Amy's thoughts led her to Arwen, someone so integral to Aragorn's story yet barely mentioned in the body of the book. She looked at Aragorn now and could see he was lost in thought and the way his fingers played with the jewel fastened around his neck, she knew his thoughts were also of Arwen. An Elven princess as beautiful as Luthian, had given her heart to a ranger from the North, but a ranger no less than the one destined to be King.

It was the perfect story really, no wonder Tolkien had been so popular. Now that she found herself walking in amongst his pages she realised the enormity of his writings. Could he have walked here too? No, that was not possible, the books of these events that she was in were already written.

 _I have been many places Amy, and not always in the right order._

That is what Gandalf had said to her _._ Could it be that her world and this were not necessarily happening at the same time or even occurring in the same order? She shook her head and wished she had paid more attention in school. Not that Quantum Physics was on the curriculum.

She knew she was getting sucked in but if she could understand how she and maybe others had got here in the first place she might be able to rest her mind. Also, without knowing how are why it had occurred, how would she know if it could all end at any moment.

She felt a little bit panicked. If it all ended right now how would she feel, would she be sad? Would she be glad that it was all over and that she could resume her life? Could she ever really resume her life after this? Despite explaining to herself that she was having some sort of coma induced psychotic episode, could she truly go back to normal life after everything she had seen and experienced? Because no matter how much doubt she held there was no way she could deny that it all felt unutterably real.

His touch felt unutterably real.

And she felt it now as his hand nudged the bottom of her chin forcing her look up at him as his eyes searched her face.

In a second his hand was gone as he signed. _"Is something wrong?"_

She looked away suddenly embarrassed. _"I am fine, it's nothing."_

" _You are crying."_

Her hands shot up to her face and sure enough her cheeks were wet. She hastily wiped them away and dried her hands on the tunic, she knew saying nothing was not going to appease him.

" _Do you know much about magic?"_

Legolas looked at her curiously _. "Magic? Why do you want to know?"_

" _I am just trying to work out how I even got here."_

" _Well, I supposed it could have been magic, but why?"_

" _That is the thing, there is no magic in my world. No wizards, no elves, no anything."_

" _That you know of."_ Legolas added.

She rolled her eyes at him but then thought on this. Perhaps there was magic in her world but it was hidden from view. That just seemed too easy though. Some stray magic spell had sent her to a different Universe? Why her? No there had to be something else, something she was missing.

" _Do you think there is a way back to your world?"_ He asked the question and did not know how much he wanted to hear the answer.

" _Maybe."_ If Tolkien had been here, hell if Peter Jackson had managed to get here too, then both had returned to tell their story, in their own way. Would she be the next?

He could see the cogs whirring behind her eyes and she was not alone. Ever since she had told him of her world and the wonders of it he could not help but hope that he himself would see it. If there was a way between worlds, maybe that would be his way out.

Legolas caught himself though before the thought took real root. What was he thinking? He was the Prince of Mirkwood. He would not leave his duty unfulfilled.

" _I should go ahead and scout. Will you be alright?"_ He said finally.

She could see he was not quite himself but did not say anything.

" _Go, go scout."_ She tried a weak smile.

" _Stay with Aragorn."_

She nodded and with that he was off, disappearing off into the distance and over a hill.

She stayed near Aragorn but made no attempt to communicate with him. She could get through a basic conversation with him, but right now she had no desire to. She wondered how much further it was to Helms Deep as although walking had helped her feel better it was clearly allowing her too much time to think.

Of course she did not hear Legolas' shout but she did see the moment when Aragorn went on full alert and began shouting orders to those around him. She had no idea what was going on though and as the men mounted their horses and stormed away she was left there standing relatively alone in a matter of moments.

The light touch on her shoulder made her jump but she quickly drew a breath and settled herself when she turned and saw Eowyn stood there. The shield maiden had an angry flush to her cheeks but her eyes were full of concern.

They stood there looking at each other for a few awkward moments neither really knowing how to talk to the other despite so many questions between them. Eventually, Eowyn gestured clumsily for Amy to follow and it became apparent that the caravan was to continue on without the riders.

Often fear can be described as a sickening feeling in your gut as worry consumes you but fear of the unknown is colder and leaves you slightly breathless. Amy had felt this feeling chillingly before.

The platform was busy as it approached 9am in central London and Amy was not looking forward to cramming herself onto the tube. She was hot, and her head ached with every drop of vodka she had consumed the night before. She swore she would never go to one of Katie's stupid house parties again.

All she needed to do was make it the three stops from Russell Square to Holloway Road without throwing up on someone's expensive suit and she would call the day a success. She would have got the bus if it hadn't have smelt like onion rings. She never did get on that tube, it was July 7th 2005.

The things she saw that day stayed with her always but the one overwhelming memory she had was the fear. She didn't know what was happening or what had happened until she had walked the hour walk home and switched on the television. People tried to speak to her of course, to help, to guide; no one doubted the kindness of Londoners that day, but it didn't matter because on a day the silence was deafening and she did not understand.

It was the classic fear of the unknown, perhaps you only needed to see to know what had happened, but in truth, on that day, silence truly was terrifying.

And so she stood on the plains of Rohan desperately wanting to know what was going on and fearing of course the worse. Did she follow the caravan? Or did she try and follow Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli? She had not been separated from them before, and until now she always assumed she would stay with them. Did they mean to leave her? She felt a stirring of anger, would it have been too much to ask for Legolas just to give her some sort of sign?!

She really had no choice and picked up her pace to match that of the caravan, then she saw it. The fear in their eyes, mothers and wives, faces pale with dread. Why had the men left? What danger were they facing? What danger was Legolas facing? With that question the cold fear left to be replaced by the sickening fear, it didn't matter what he was facing, he was in danger and it terrified her.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The arrival at Helms Deep was marked with no fanfare only the palpable relief of the walkers. Small joy was felt, however, when Amy saw the small boy and girl they had brought from Edoras reunited with their mother. As the girl clutched tightly onto her mother, her little hands wrapped securely round her mother's neck Amy felt her heart contract with delight but also sadness at her own loneliness.

She wandered away from the party she had arrived with and set about exploring Helms Deep. What else was she to do? She was so out of her comfort zone all she wanted to do was hide. In reality she had been out of her comfort zone since her arrival in Lothlorien, but now that she was alone with no one who understood her she felt truly isolated from everything she ever knew.

The walk here had been awful, she watched as the old and weak stumbled and she herself thought she may join them at several points. Her head had begun to swim with nausea but she knew it was not from illness but fear this time.

The muscles still burnt in her thighs as she climbed the final few steps up to the long deeping wall and stared out over the plains. She was facing an impending war, something someone of her generation in England had never faced before. It was one of those big world issues that you watched on television and assumed you would never have to face. In fact if she had given it any thought she would come to the conclusion that she could not cope with such a thing, war was too big, too horrific. Yet here she was on the brink and coping, she had found some strength within her that despite all the fear she felt from everything else, from the silence, she could still stand on a battlement and face war.

The fear she still felt was not fear for herself anymore but for him. Where was he? What was he facing? When would he return? What if he did not return?

She shook her head. Such thinking would only drive her mad. She could not stand here staring into the nothingness waiting. She needed to do something. Something that would distract her. She felt useless though to the people of Rohan as they busied themselves in preparation knowing not what was coming. This struck a chord with her. They had no idea what was coming over the horizon but they did not hide, they carried on. She took one last look over the plains and decided she would not wait here. He would return, of course he would, and she would be waiting but not here, she would help.

...

The horses' hooves were loud on the stone cobbles of Helms Deep as King Theoden returned with his men, though some were clearly missing.

Legolas immediately looked around for her but could not see her amongst the people gathered upon their return. He followed Gimli who's intent was to talk to the Lady of Rohan, and his teeth clenched as her voice faltered. "Lord Aragorn, where is he?"

"He fell..." Was all Gimli could manage before he hastened away. Legolas made no move to follow him this time and instead caught the attention of Eowyn.

"My lady, can you tell me where Amy is?" He had a sudden horrible feeling that she had not followed the caravan.

"I'm sorry... I don't know..." Eowyn tried desperately to hold the emotion from her voice. "She was here but then she wondered off, perhaps to the keep." Legolas nodded and started to leave to look for her when suddenly Eowyn reached out a hand and grasped his wrist. Her grief filled eyes mirrored his own but she took a deep breath and composed herself. "I did not know how to talk to her, I thought perhaps as your guide she knew where you were going but I could see it in her eyes, she was worried about you."

Legolas said nothing in return but bowed his head slightly as she let go her grip and turned away into the throng of people.

It did not take him long to find her, people seemed all too aware of who he was talking about when asking people of Amy's whereabouts. She was knelt on the floor of the keep along with three other women helping as she sorted out blankets from cloths, clearly preparing everyone for a night on cold stone.

He must have been staring as one of the women shifted uneasily before tapping Amy's hand and signalling towards him. She turned brow furrowed but as soon as she saw him her face lit up and she could not help but scramble to her feet and run towards him.

He did not know what he expected but it was not this. She practically crashed into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He would have relished the contact and the fact that she had instigated it at any other time, but not now, and his arms remained limp at his side.

Amy only took a few moments to realise this and stepped back unsure of herself and mentally chastising herself for stepping over the line. She could see on his face though that something was wrong. _"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"_

" _Not here, follow me."_

She did as he bid and felt a nervousness settle over as he led her down some back passages. He was visibly upset but under that she could see a simmering anger. Finally he stopped but he did not face her immediately. She watched the rise and fall of his shoulders as he tried to reign in his emotions. When he did turn his face was blank. _"Aragorn's gone."_

" _Gone? Gone where?"_ She asked stupidly.

" _He fell."_ The image of the ranger falling flashed in her mind, but she knew Legolas' meaning of the word did not just mean a topple from a cliff. " _We must have done something wrong, I should have taken you with us but I thought it would be safer for you with the caravan."_ He stopped so he could clench his fists as a way of relieving some of the tension he felt.

Amy slowly caught on to what he was saying and now she wished terribly that she had said something before, _"You did not do anything wrong."_

" _We must have, how can Aragorn be gone?! We need him, Middle Earth needs him."_ She did not answer because she knew it would be only a matter of seconds before he realised. _"This was supposed to happen."_ He shook his head as he said it though and his face was no longer blank, in fact he looked disgusted with the revelation. " _Tell me it is not true, tell this is not supposed to have happened?!"_ She daren't nod but in reality she did not need to, he could see it on her face. _"You knew. You knew this would happen."_

It was not a question.

" _I was not sure, I knew there was a possibility that this would happen but..."_ There was no point in continuing, he had turned his back on her. He had silenced her. When he did finally turn to face her, she wished he had not. His eyes were full of rage.

" _You knew and you did nothing?!"_

She felt as if she had been punched in the face again, of everyone likely to question her like that, he would have been the last she would have suspected. Her hands were trembling now not only out of hurt but also anger. _"Legolas please."_ She did not know what else to tell him. " _It is not that simple."_

" _What do we do now? Now that he is gone?"_

" _If you just give it some time you will understand."_

She wished she understood, if the filmmakers decided to throw Aragorn off a cliff she hoped they had a bloody good reason for doing so.

" _Understand! What is there to understand? He is gone and it is now too late for us to do anything about it!"_

" _What would you have had me do?! Tell him his fate? Change the future? Ruin everything you have all worked so hard for? Jeopardize Frodo?! Is that want you wanted?!"_

"You could have warned me!" He shouted the words as his temper spilled over. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. _"You could have warned me."_ He repeated in sign. The fire was now gone from his eyes and was replaced by steely ice. _"He was my friend, I could have done something."_

" _Done what? Saved him?"_

Legolas shook his head. _"I could have said goodbye."_

The pain that sat in the weight of that admission hit both of them. Two people who knew what it was like not to be able to say goodbye.

Legolas could feel nothing but pain and anger now and it flowed through his hands _. "I thought you would understand that but you have shut yourself off from everyone and have forgotten what it is like to care for someone. We have lost Middle Earth's hope and have a guide willing to watch us all fade into ruin!"_

She bit back the tears, she would not cry for him now and she felt her own rage burning. _"How fucking dare you!? You think you know me? You show me kindness whilst pushing me on. I am not your guide! I am your prisoner!"_

" _Prisoner!? If that is how you feel, then leave! You are nothing but a distraction anyway!"_

She took a step back from him as if knocked by a blow to the gut. The fire had been put out.

" _Well let me distract you no longer."_ She turned away from him and bolted for the door.

He did not follow.

...

She did not know for how long she walked for but eventually she found herself in the cave far beyond the wall. She knew the frightened would gather here soon as the men waged war, but for now it was relatively quiet as people took advantage of the cool calm air outside before the nightmare came. When she had found a dark corner she sat down and pressed her back against the cold stone.

She tried to keep Legolas' words from her mind, she did not want to think of them but it played over and over until she had no choice but to sink her head into her knees and cry. Her only gladness was that no one would see these tears.

It had hurt, words close to the truth always did, but it hurt more because it was him who had said them. So, that was what he had really thought of her, cold and heartless with no thought for anyone else but herself. Nothing but a burdensome distraction. She wondered if Aragorn had asked the elf to pretend to befriend her in order to see what she knew.

She tried to reason with herself that some of his words were said in anger and grief, therefore not how he really felt but she just kept running over them in her head.

"… _you have forgotten what it is like to care for someone."_

" _You are nothing but a distraction anyway!"_

People had said hurtful things before and on the most part she just shrugged them off, what else could you do other than become consumed with their hatefulness, but this time was different. She remembered when her mum had criticised her, not for anything massive, just the little things mothers do, but it always hurt that bit more when it was from her. When Katie had laughed at her unfortunate incident with the red dye that left her more straw hat than red siren she had shrugged it off, but when her mum had smiled but had the keen look of disappointment in her eyes when she had got her tattoo done, it had really stung. Because that is what happens when you cared deeply about someone, cared deeply about what they thought of you, and that was the reason she cried. She had done, what was to her, the unthinkable. She had let him smash through all those walls and let him get close to her. She had let him in, told him things, let him hold her, let him convince her that he was real. She had dreamt of him, smelt him, ached for him and she had held her breath in fear for him.

It wounded more deeply than it should because she was fighting desperately against the feeling that was threatening to consume her. She had had boyfriends and lovers before but no one who she stopped breathing at the sight of. She let out a breathy laugh as the incredulity of it all hit her. How did this all happen? Her misery had now transformed into a ridiculous acceptance of what she now considered her extraordinary if not downright wretched life.

She did not want to be here anymore. She wanted the ground to swallow her up, even if it did not take her home she wanted out. But she was stuck, no amount of wishing would change her circumstance, she had tried that back in Lothlorien. She would have to wait this particular battle out. Once Gandalf returned though she would confront him and there would be no time for riddles. She would get her answers and find a way out of here. And if Gandalf would not help then she would have to find another way.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

His first thought was that he had gone mad with grief and anger but as the figure got nearer and nearer he realised quickly that the man slumped on a horse entering the Keep who looked so like Aragorn was indeed his friend.

He was rooted to the spot momentarily as his hand gripped tightly the Evenstar. Amy had said it was not that simple and how right she was. He had already deeply regretted what he had said to her, hating himself for the pain he had caused her, but now as the pain and anger of his loss evaporated he was sickened by the words he had said.

The relief was strong though as his friend approached him in a daze. "Le ab-dollen." Legolas could not help but let a small smile of release grace his face as Aragorn stood before him. He took one look at the man's wounds and ripped clothing and his next words just fell from his mouth. "You look terrible."

Aragorn almost laughed as a wide grin spread across his face. "Even you would not look so favourable after what I have endured, but perhaps we have had some good fortune from this, although the tidings are not good."

' _If you just give it some time you will understand.'_ That is what she had said to him, but he had not trusted her judgement, he had ignored her words. He hated himself right now.

Aragorn did not seem to notice Legolas' mind wandering and carried on. "I need to speak with the King and to Amy."

Legolas nodded but daren't say anything lest his voice give him away. Instead, he took Aragorn's hand and placed something very important in it.

When Aragorn looked down and saw the Evenstar bright on his palm, his smile faded but inside happiness burst. He thought he had lost it for good.

"Hannon le." Aragorn clasped his friend on the shoulder. "Take me to the King."

Legolas did as he was bid and stayed silent throughout the exchange between Theoden and Aragorn. So ten thousand Uruk Hai would come and they knew when they would arrive. Information that they would not have had if Aragorn had not fallen. If Aragorn had not had asked him to stay and help with the preparations he would have sought Amy out immediately.

They plotted over plans of the keep and they trawled over the causeway and Deeping wall where Theoden's assurances of victory finally snapped Aragorn's patience. "They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people. Down to the very last child."

It seemed Theoden was not so sure of victory as his voice lowered in anger. "What would you have me do? Look at my men. Their courage hangs by a thread. If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end worthy of remembrance."

Aragorn was not so ready for defeat. "Send out riders, my lord. You must call for aid."

"And who will come? Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead."

"Gondor will answer!"

"Gondor? Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gond..." He broke off almost with an exasperated breath. "No, my lord Aragorn, we are alone. No aid will come to us and no guide will direct us. Your friends aid you only." With that he walked away.

Aragorn blew out a frustrated breath now and turned to Legolas. "Come I need you to help me talk to Amy." Legolas had been dreading this. He of course wanted to talk to her but he needed to do so alone before acting as an interpreter for others. "Do you know where she is?"

"I...I...no, she..."

"What is it? What is wrong?" Aragorn interrupted.

Legolas did not have it in him to come up with a creative lie so he came straight out with the truth. "I don't know where she is, and I would not be surprised if we cannot find her. I'd have hidden away in her position."

"What happened?"

"I said something, something awful. I was angry and upset, but that isn't an excuse for what I said."

"I will find her, go to the armoury and help arm the men. Take Gimli with you." Aragorn tried to hide the annoyance in his voice but was not so successful. He knew what it was like to have your heart so intrinsically linked with this war but could not help but be frustrated at the latest turn of events. He just hoped now that he would find Amy quickly.

Unfortunately for a tracker it took him longer than he had hoped. She had managed to embed herself so deep into the caves that he had to push his way through the streams of women and children pouring into their entrance.

He almost did not spot her as she had curled up tightly into a corner with her head buried in her knees. He knelt before her and hoped he would not startle her when he tapped a finger gently on her knee. Her head shot up although she did not seem frightened by his sudden interruption of her thoughts.

It was very different to know something was going to happen and actually to trust that it would indeed happen so when she saw Aragorn there all tattered and torn but as alive as the day, she grabbed hold of him in a tight hug. She did not think she had been so happy to see anyone in her life.

If he was surprised by Amy's sudden affection he did not show it. He hugged her back and held her until she was ready to let go.

" _I'm sorry."_ Her first signs to him left Aragorn puzzled, not because he didn't understand but because he did not know what she was apologising for.

He delved back into his memory of nights on watch with Legolas when his friend had repeatedly tried to show him the basics of sign language. He drew a blank and cursed himself for it. He looked up hoping his apologetic look would be enough and found her smiling at him. In her hand she held some paper and a pen.

He ignored the strangeness of the writing implement and got straight on with writing his question.

 **Why are you sorry?**

 **For letting you go through all of that.**

 **But I needed to.**

 **You did?**

 **We are better prepared than we would have been. Do you know what is coming?**

 **I have a good idea.**

 **Then you know we are going to need every minute of preparation that we can get.**

He paused so he could give her hand a quick squeeze. It was such a gentle gesture but it was full of comfort and acceptance.

 **I know it must have been hard for you, Boromir, the hobbits, myself but you are doing the right thing.**

 **I wish I had your faith in me.**

 **I do have faith in you, and I am not the only one. He is sorry.**

 **Did he tell you then?**

 **Only that he said something hurtful that he did not mean.**

She wondered if this was true and whether that was enough to ease some of the pain.

 **You should go, they will be sealing this place off soon and I can tell you that you definitely need to be out there fighting.**

 **Is that my glimpse into the future?** He smiled as he wrote.

 **And it is all you are getting.** She smiled in return. **Did you need to ask me something?**

He shook his head. He had meant to ask her something. Ask her something of the future. He had wanted to always avoid asking her such a thing but felt compelled in the face of the dangers coming to find out if there was hope.

 **I am scared**

Aragorn was shocked at this. Fear surrounded them but to see her declare her fear so openly filled him with a deep dread.

 **There should be more, more to defend.**

There she had done it. She had revealed what had been eating away at her since Eomer had turned and ridden away on the fields of Rohan. She was surprised when Aragorn nodded. She should not have been though. He was a master swordsman, a fierce warrior, a defender of lands. He knew all too well when he was outnumbered.

He squeezed her hand lightly though his face was grim, it was time to ask her.

 **Should we trust to hope?**

He did not need an answer from her, he could see it on her face. There was hope, there was always hope. He took the paper and Amy was touched when he folded up the paper neatly and tucked it away into his boot.

He took one more moment to look at her gathering strength for the upcoming battle by looking into her eyes. Eyes that he trusted had seen a better future for them all.

When he had left her, she settled back into her corner a little lighter than she had felt before. His words had soothed her somewhat but not enough to stop her tucking herself away. Over the last few hours she had felt the pull of loneliness returning, something she had not felt for a while now.

And so, she dug around in her bag and pulled out her phone. She had switched it off back in Lothlorien to save the battery. She did not know why she wanted to save the battery since the phone was rendered useless here but now she was glad of it. She turned it on and quickly typed in her pin, an act so natural even after months of no use. When the screen lit up and O2 welcomed her she smiled a little at the small home comforts it brought her. When fully loaded the signal bar was empty but that did not matter as she navigated straight to her inbox.

The signal bar was not the only thing pitifully empty, her inbox only had a couple of text messages in it. It was the first time she had really confronted it, she did not have any friends left. There were exactly five things in there, four messages from O2 and one conversation with Chris. She opened it and looked at the first message dated on the first day she had bought the phone after she had text him her number.

 **Welcome to real world! Glad to see you have got yourself a phone! Maybe you can persuade Katie to get one now!**

She had not text back.

Two hours later he had text her again.

 **It's not one of those fancy iphones is it? Can't get on with those touch screens.**

She had not text back.

 **Me and Katie are heading to the Marlborough Arms for some Veggie Fish and Chips, swing by if you are free. You know you love it!**

She had not text back.

The next message had been a week later.

 **Katie wants one of those hearing dogs for the deaf, didn't you have one once. Can you give her some advice?**

She had text back that time but she was less than impressed with herself reading her response back.

 **No, I didn't have one.**

She had had one, she had lied, all to get out of having a friendly conversation with Katie.

It was weeks before he texted her again.

 **Running late for the shopping trip. Be there in 15.**

Maybe Legolas was right, she had grown cold and had not even seen her last two relationships deteriorate so badly. Why had she pushed them away so much? Was the death of her mother really that painful that she could not talk to anyone about it, could not take their sympathy and kind words? Or was it more than that? Why had she silenced herself?

She did not ask these questions of herself but did break down a little barrier. She texted Chris.

 **I hope you are okay, or at least better than I am. You'll never believe this (unless of course you are experiencing the same after the accident) but I have either discovered a way to transverse worlds or I am having some sort of existential dream, strange huh?**

She pressed send.

Message sending failed

She knew it wouldn't send but she felt better by just pressing the send button. She kept the message in her outbox, and would do so as a reminder. If she did ever get out of here she would rebuild those bridges. When she finally looked up from her phone she saw green boots, their toes nearly touching hers. She almost did not have the courage to look up as she knew exactly whose boots they were.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

In the end Legolas knelt down and she had no choice but to meet his eyes. She felt nerves course through her and she felt slightly sick.

Legolas himself was also feeling a flurry of emotions. Aragorn had not wanted to tell him where Amy was but in the end had relented unless Legolas spend the whole battle out of sorts. At first he did not know whether to leave her for a while but after having to apologise to Aragorn for an outburst in the armoury he realised that he was in no fit state to fight with this hanging over him.

He had no right to and had no idea what compelled him to but he reached out, placed his hand under her chin and ran his thumb across her bottom lip. She froze under his touch but he was relieved that she did not pull away.

" _I owe you an apology."_ He finally signed after removing his hand from her face.

" _You should not be here."_

" _Amy please, what I said…"_ Everything Legolas had practiced to say to her was gone when he saw the pain in her eyes. "I am sorry." He said it aloud and she read the words on his lips.

She had no words for him in reply.

He did not want to leave it like this, not when he did not know if he would see her again, but time was against him. _"I owe you a proper apology but I have to go."_

" _Then go."_

She knew it was cold and she knew she was pushing him away but for once she felt justifiable in her actions. Now that he was before her, she felt the pain of his words sting once more and she was pissed.

He could see the steely resolve in her eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw. He wanted to reach out again but knew that this time it would not be welcome.

" _I wish that I could stay and make this right but I promise you that if I come back I will spend as long as it takes to make this right."_

She felt herself softening towards him but it still stung. _"You should be out there, I am distracting you again."_

He hung his head in shame as she used his words against him. _"You did not deserve what I said and what I should have said was quite the opposite."_

She regarded him cautiously, not fully understanding what he meant.

" _You are right though. I should go, the elves have come and the battle is imminent, but I had to see you before I…Amy I…."_ His words failed him and she gave no indication of responding.

He stood hurriedly, trying to hide his embarrassment and signed his goodbye before making his way quickly through the crowd of fearful people huddled in the cave.

She watched his retreating form and felt her heart start to ache in forgiveness. He had said that if he came back, if. She knew he was supposed to come back but that did not bring much comfort when it came to war. What if he was as distracted as he looked and he made a mistake? She could not bear the thought so she made a decision, for the first time in a long time, to act. She ran after him her feet on the stone alerting him to someone's presence.

She did not waste any time when he turned to look at her. _"Don't do anything stupid okay, come back safe."_

He could not help but smile slightly at her concern. _"I will do my best."_

" _Please, really, you need to get through this safely. I need you to get through this safely."_

He physically felt his heart beat slowly over that, she needed him. He tried not to dwell on it and build it up too much but it was too late. _"I'll come back to you."_

" _Good."_ She was about to let him leave when suddenly it occurred to him what he had said. _"The elves have come? What?!"_

" _Haldir and the elves of Lorien. They have come to our aid. I am not the only elf in the world that remembers the old alliances."_

Relief flooded through her. So there were more now, more to defend Helms Deep. She smiled now and just nodded in response before watching him leave _._

…...

She did not know exactly when it began but she was sure now that Isengard had been unleashed upon the people of Rohan. The air in the cave was thick and full of fear. The women, the old, the children clung to one another praying that it would all be over and their loved ones would return unharmed and untainted by the memory of war.

Many of them stared at her as an outsider, and she was glad that they all did not know of her knowledge of the future. She knew what they would ask and for them she would have no answers. She did not know who would die, only that it would be many. She only knew which people were supposed to survive and even then she was hoping that they would indeed be safe. How could anything be guaranteed in a blood soaked battle like Helms Deep?

She wished that perhaps she was smarter and could figure out a way of saving everyone without changing the future. But she wasn't supposed to be a guide; Gandalf had confirmed that to her so really she should just sit back and let things happen the way they should. And then she remembered that dream, her dream of Helms Deep so vivid like the movie. She had seen an elf die in Aragorn's arms, and despite not knowing what he looked like she knew somehow that it was Haldir. Rumil had said it had been Haldir that had found her, but he remained on patrol during her stay in Lorien so she had never come face to face with him.

And now he would die. She was tempted to just forget everything she knew of the books as seemingly they were of little use here. The elves were at Helms Deep, Haldir among them and he would die.

It seemed cruel of the filmmakers somehow, he did not die in the book, and yet here he would because of their directorial decisions, his eternal life taken away from him. A life that if allowed to continue really had little impact on the One Ring. Perhaps though his death did have a consequence for the good in the grand scheme of things, like the butterfly effect.

'Oh that's bollocks.' She said to herself. A good elf would die in the randomness of battle, an elf that in the world of the books she loved got to live on. She stood before her mind had really caught up with her, she was not going to let him die.

She reached the heavy wooden doors where two old men dressed in reused armour guarded mournfully. _"You have to let me out."_

When they stared at her blankly she reached for the chain and quickly found herself being unceremoniously hauled away.

"What do you think you are doing?!"

"You cannot open that!"

She struggled against them but despite them being old they were still very strong.

"What is going on here?!" Eowyn placed a light but authoritative hand on one of the soldiers in a move that told them to let Amy go.

"She tried to leave the caves, we were instructed by the King to let no one out, under no circumstances!"

Eowyn looked at Amy and through the flushed face she could see steely determination. Aragorn had given her some clue as to who this girl was but she knew he had only scratched the surface of it. She knew that she would never be able to properly communicate with her but spoke slowly with hope. "You cannot go out there, it is too dangerous."

Amy read Eowyn's lips concentrating hard on every movement. "I have to." She answered silently. "I have to." She repeated again so Eowyn could see every word.

The shield maiden thought on this. Aragorn had called her their guide, did he need their guide now? What would occur if she kept Amy here? But she thought of her people and what lurked behind those doors, if she opened them to let Amy out she could not risk opening them again to let her back in.

The two women looked at each other for what seemed like an age before Eowyn nodded. Amy's relief was palpable.

"Open the gate, then barricade it shut." Eowyn barked her order to the bemusement of the guards and those around them. She then turned back to Amy and placed her hands on her shoulders. "I cannot reopen the gates once you are out. Do you understand?"

Amy did understand, she almost wished she hadn't. Legolas had always told her to run from battle, was she really willing to run straight into one?

"Amy do you understand?" Eowyn asked again as the final chain was removed from the gate.

Amy took hold of Eowyn's hands and squeezed them whilst she nodded. The action was supposed to reassure Eowyn but really Amy needed it for herself, and just like that she found herself with her back to the gate on the side of a battle.

It really was the wrong time to have second thoughts but she stood there in the Keep surrounded by the wounded who had fallen back to here for some respite. It was worse than a horror movie. She had to get out of here.

There was no epic bravery for Amy as she slowly made her way from the Keep and ducked behind columns until she could get a view of the battle raging below and on the Deeping Wall. It was a sight that left her catching her breath, as a silent battle played out before her. She dare nit waste any more time staring at the horror of it all so decided to press on determined to reach the top of the battlements where the King stood.

She reached it relatively quickly as the stones steps were empty, the men far too busy down below. King Theoden looked grim but determined as he commanded the army from above and although his eye was keenly trained on the battle he was quick to notice Amy hurrying up the stairs.

"You cannot be here. Gamling take her back to her caves."

She had no idea what he had shouted though the firm grip on her arm told her it wasn't good. She struggled against it but there was not much point. She was decidedly fed up of getting manhandled now by men who thought they knew better and felt keenly now what Eowyn must have felt. She had a decision to make, she could either let herself be dragged back to the Keep or she could carry on with what she set out to do. And so she bit Gamling on hand.

It had the desired effect and he yelled out in pain pulling his hand to his chest. It gave her the second she needed and she wrenched herself away from him and pulled herself up onto the battlement wall to try and spot him.

Legolas would always stand out in a crowd of humans but with so many elves joining the fight she looked from one blonde head to the next. Finally though, just as Gamling and another guard grabbed hold of her legs she saw him. And as if he felt her gaze, he looked up towards the battlements and saw Amy there drenched in rain being pulled down by the Rohirric guard.

She never saw it but on his face flashed a look of abject terror and his gut clenched in sickness. He stopped counting how many Uruk Hai he had killed as he slashed his way along the wall back to the battlement.

He was no less gentle as he pulled the two guards off her from behind leaving them sprawled on the floor. Amy did not know what had happened to them until she turned and saw Legolas standing there one knife still in his hand soaked in a black blood. She was so relieved to see him that she buried her face into his chest and gripped tightly to his shoulders.

He did not risk having her stay out here, even though they were holding the Uruks back for now, so reluctantly broke the half embrace and taking her hand pulled her back to the Keep.

" _What are you doing out here?"_ His signs were frantic.

" _I had to warn someone, Haldir. He dies, but he can be saved."_ It was not the most eloquent of explanations but in the time constraints it was the best she could come up with.

" _You need to go back in the cave."_ He grabbed hold of her shoulder but she was not having any of it. She shoved him off and stood square up to him.

" _No you need to listen to me"_ She shoved again at his grasping arms. Yes he had apologised but resentment still lingered. She was not going to be dismissed, she was not cold and unfeeling. She would make him listen _. "Haldir is in danger, and I cannot let him die. He doesn't need to die. It's a waste...Please if you trust me, try, try and save him."_

He could see what this meant to her, he could see what she was doing. She wasn't standing back and watching the world pass her by, she was doing something, she was making a difference. He blamed himself for his careless words earlier.

" _I trust you. I will try my best Amy, but right now you must do something for me, you must get back in those caves."_

She wanted to do that for him, she wished she could do that for him. _"They're sealed. They could not risk opening them again."_

He felt the sick thud of fear in his stomach. _"You are brave and reckless."_ He looked around the Keep and took hold of her arm again leading her to the back of the Hall of the Keep and rather roughly pushed her behind a column. _"I want you to stay here okay, do not move."_ It was not good enough, all it would take is one Uruk to slip past and enter the Keep and if it saw her it would kill her. Uruks took special delight in destroying the beautiful. He looked round but there was nothing else, this was it. _"Promise me you will stay here."_ He pulled a hunting knife from his boot and pushed it into her own. _"No heroics."_

" _I promise."_

His heart told him to stay, to protect her but his head reminded him of his duty and of her request. So he said a silent pray to the Valar to keep her safe and left.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

She slid down the column until she was sat on the floor suddenly feeling weary from her excursion. Clearly she was yet to feel completely better, and a shiver coursed through her as her wet clothes clung to her skin. She peered round the column he had tucked her behind. She was as close to the cave as possible but could clearly see the battlements outside that were soaked in rain and soon she imagined blood. The wounded still streamed in and although they tried to help one another there was no one really there to solely help them, everyone had been called to fight. She stood but caught herself before she stepped out, she had promised Legolas she would stay here, but what kind of human could just stand back and not help those clearly in pain.

She had no medical experience whatsoever but what she did have was a kind heart and so she stepped out and began doing what she could.

Many were already dead when she reached them and so she closed their eyes out of respect and tried not to break down. Adrenaline coursed through her helping her block out the misery and dreadfulness of it all. Many of the men had suffered severe cuts but had already tied tourniquets round their limbs to stem the blood. She did help though by pulling over chairs and tables so they could raise the injured limb and keep the blood flowing to their vital organs. One man was particularly pale from the loss of blood from a stab wound to the stomach, but the guard that sat by him, also nursing a rather nasty gash across his eye, had managed to stop the blood by pressing the wound shut with piles of cloths and securing them to the body with his belt. "He will live if we get through this, it is not deep, he is lucky."

Amy nodded although did not catch much of what he had said. She ran a blood stained hand over the injured man's head and could see he was struggling to stay awake. He reminded her of herself when suffering from a particular bad patch of anaemia. She always found chocolate to help, which in Middle Earth was not very helpful but perhaps something else might be. She pulled out the jar of peanut butter and opened the lid, holding it under the man's nose. He immediately opened his eyes at the strong smell. She washed her hands quickly and as best she could before she dipped a finger in and put it to his lips.

"What is it?" The guard asked as the man beside him instantly perked up.

Amy gave the jar to the guard and gestured for him to share it out. He seemed to understand and she smiled as the men around her despite the death they had seen and were facing broke out into smiles at the taste. She hoped Legolas would not be too upset when she told him it was all gone.

She was rinsing her hands thoroughly in a bowl of unspoiled water when it happened. The ground felt as if it shifted beneath her feet like it would in an earthquake, although she had never experienced an earthquake, but the jolt seemed startlingly familiar. It seemed her experiences of tube bombings were becoming more and more prevalent each moment. But how could there be a bomb in Middle Earth, it made no sense. Every curious inch of her wanted to leave the Keep but she stayed frozen to the spot, not really because she had promised Legolas but because there was that terrifying silence again. The silence of the unknown.

And then the wounded came flooding in and it all became a bit of a blur. She could not help them all even if she was a trained doctor, instead she tried to hold as many hands as possible as one by one men died around her.

She did not hear the discussions of the men who could still stand as they decided to pile the dead outside the Keep lest they could not move for them, but she saw the pain in their eyes at having to handle their dead kin so coldly. She watched the door in fear that someone she knew would be brought in, all torn up, and she would be helpless. She saw him then as she watched the door, a boy, no older than 16, dragged in clutching his neck. As his arms fell limp at his side the blood spurted out further than Amy could ever possibly have imagined blood could. The men around him applied cloth after cloth and pressure but as the blood soaked through she could see it was not working.

The boy's eyes locked on her and she could see the fear in them. She had once watched the film Pearl Harbour, she thought it was rubbish, but it came to her now. A scene where the nurse had put her fingers into a patient's neck wound and stemmed the blood flow. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach, but as he looked at her she found herself walking towards him and kneeling down. He grabbed one of her hands and trembled and his skin all but faded to white, and so she pulled the layers of sodden cloths from his neck, took a deep breath and place two fingers into the wound. The wound was no more than two inches long down the side of his neck. It looked as if a wide blade aimed for his throat had missed its mark and yet done its job.

She had no idea what she was feeling but when the blood stopped pouring from him she stopped moving, she stopped breathing.

Everyone stopped moving. What did she do now? There was no ambulance, no top surgeons who could sew him up, what was she doing but delaying the inevitable? No, she told herself, no she shouldn't think like that. Aragorn would come, he would come and he would know what to do. The boy's hand that held hers stopped trembling and she trained her eyes onto his face to block out what her right hand was doing.

He smiled the smallest of smiles. "You're an angel." The words were nothing but a whisper and she did not understand them but she smiled at him in return and gripped his hand tightly with her left. "I don't want to die." She did read those words and had to bite her tongue lest she start sobbing. The tears ran freely though down her face. She shook her head even as the tears gathered in her eyes, and then she watched his own eyes change to panic as he looked to the door.

Four Uruk Hai stormed in slashing widely and taking out three men immediately. Amy's heart felt as if it was in her mouth as those that could drew up their swords to fight them back. 'Run,' Legolas had told her, 'Hide,' she told herself, and yet she couldn't move. She couldn't take her hand from this boy's neck otherwise he would bleed out in seconds, so she did not move despite him telling her to leave, she stayed and she saw the moment one of the Uruks saw her. It was if it had grown tired of killing the wounded round it and trained all of its energy on her. Its footsteps were heavy across the stone as it stalked towards her, and she closed her eyes lest she run away. So this was it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

She expected a sword or knife to cut into her but instead her eyes flew open as the Uruk fastened its grip around her neck and hauled her up. Her hand was wrenched away from the boy and she could not help but cry out. The Uruk shoved her into a column then pushed her up so that her feet were a foot from the floor and her throat was burning from the tight grip. To her eyes it was the most terrifying thing she had seen, as if it had come straight out of a child's nightmare. Its face drew close and she felt the bile rise in her throat as its vile black tongue licked its way up the side of her face. Her hands clutched and clawed at its hands as she desperately tried to loosen the grip; and her legs kicked out with surprising strength as she tried to knock the horror away.

The Uruk drew out a knife with one hand but still managed to hold her firm against the column and for a moment she stopped fighting as fear paralysed her. It pressed it gently at first against her chest then took great pleasure as he dragged it inch by inch from the base of her throat to the top of her left breast, hovering now over her heart. The cut was not deep but it burned like fire and in that moment she had no thought process as instinct kicked in and her brain screamed for air, for relief, and forced her to kick out again.

She felt it then, the hard dig in her calf of the knife Legolas had put in her boot. Adrenaline gave one last pump and she brought her leg up pulled the knife out and instinct told her where to stick it. If the Uruk did not die instantly the knife it held would plough into her chest, so in a swift movement she rammed it up to the hilt into his eye until it hit his brain sending black viscous blood over her.

She hit the floor instantly whereas the Uruk swayed slightly before its large mass landed on top of her. She coughed violently as she kicked its weight from her and held a hand to her burning chest.

The other three Uruks had been killed but it was too late. The boy lay there dead surrounded by a pool of his blood.

Men flooded into Keep as finally the Uruks had broken through and the army pulled back. Amy pulled herself up just in time for Legolas to push through the survivors and see her standing just where he had left her.

Legolas saw the Uruk on the floor and his dagger buried in its eye and he took in the sight of her. He could not tell where her blood ended as she was covered in the blood of others, but he knew some of it was hers. The cut down her chest was exposed by the ripped fabric and it still bled now. He started towards her but stopped when Aragorn called out. "Legolas, help me barricade this gate!"

He hated his friend for a split second for calling him away from her just as her eyes had met his but he turned away to help. She was alive and that was enough for now.

"The fortress is taken. It is over." Theoden pulled off his gloves and threw them to the ground.

Aragorn felt his temper spike and left Legolas to shore up the door with a table. "You said this fortress would never fall while your people defend it! They still defend it! They have died defending it!"

Aragorn approached the King now and hushed his voice. "Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" When he received no answer he shouted it causing everyone in the hall to pause and look at him. "Is there no other way?!"

Gamling stepped forward. "There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many."

Aragorn looked round at the face in the hall of the Keep. They were weary and full of fear, so was he, but he would not break now. "Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. Send all the wounded that can walk with them and barricade the others into the cave.

"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?" Theoden said it to himself more than anyone else.

"Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them."

Theoden seemed to find some renewed determination. "For death and glory."

"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn corrected, he had not lost hope as he looked to the window and recalled Gandalf's words. 'Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east.' He prayed the wizard was not late. "Send for the horses. We ride out!" Aragorn's voice was strong and those that could still fight gripped their swords with new energy.

It all happened around Amy as she knelt down, uncaring of the blood at her knees, and placed a tender hand on the boy's forehead before closing his eyes gently. She wept silently for him. She did not move until she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned and saw a flash of blond hair first but his face was entirely different. She stood not noticing the blood that had soaked through to her skin and pushed her hair from her face that was matted with Uruk blood.

"Well you have made a mess of yourself haven't you." He smiled gently. "It is a pleasure to meet you properly at last, my lady." She read the last bit as best as she could considering the addle nature of her brain. Haldir. Despite the misery and terror she smiled. Legolas had done it. He had saved him. _"Thank you."_ He signed, remembering what Legolas had shown him. Amy looked at him in puzzlement, only to see Legolas watching over Haldir's shoulder. She felt a great relief when he finally came over and tenderly brush his thumb over her chin.

" _What happened to no heroics?"_ He signed. He daren't sign anymore lest emotion take over him in front of everyone. She looked as if she had been part of the battle and all he wanted was to hold her.

" _I am no hero."_ She looked down at the boy _._ Legolas followed her line of sight and wished he had more time to talk to her. He tipped her chin back up to look at him before signing.

" _I have to go, go with the injured to the caves and get as many people as you can to make for the mountain pass."_

She nodded, she could see fear on his face, it was something she rarely saw on him, and in his eyes was a weariness of battle. She wanted to be comforted and wanted to comfort him, all past words momentarily forgotten, but instead she set about helping those who were struggling to walk, move back through the hall of the Keep to the caves.

…...

The women and children did make their way through the mountain pass but did not make it very far when the call came that Rohan had won, and Saruman's Uruk-hai were defeated. Legs weary from fear and toil now were now renewed as the women ran back to find their loved ones be they dead or alive.

Amy sat on the steps to the Keep reluctant to wade through the dead. Her hands were red raw from trying to scrub them clean but she had yet to clean the wound on her chest. She thought it would hurt more than it currently did, and hoped it was not adrenaline or shock masking the pain. She pulled the remains of the tunic that flapped open over it, as looking at it made her feel sick. It was a long jagged line that would no doubt leave her with an ugly scar.

A hand on her knee made her look up to see Gandalf with a sad smile on his face. _"My dear you have been through the wars, come with me."_ He led her down a passageway to a large store room that had been set up as a makeshift healers station, almost like the triage system in a hospital. _"Sit here and let's get you cleaned up, we are heading to Isengard and I want you at our side."_

" _You found Eomer didn't you?"_

" _Yes, I had a feeling he should be here."_

" _Good. Gandalf?"_

" _Yes my dear."_

" _How do I get home?"_

He stopped his fussing. _"Do you want to home?"_

" _That is not what I asked."_ Her signs and face conveyed an anger that was simmering underneath.

Gandalf sighed _. "If you want to go home, then it will become clear how to get home."_

" _No more riddles Gandalf. I am too tired for them."_

" _For once that was not a riddle. Now let me find someone to clean you up."_

He was gone before she could argue.

In a matter of moments Aragorn appeared before her. She wanted to tell him to go and see to others who were in greater need but she could already see on his face that his presence here brokered no argument.

He began by slowly wiping all the blood from her face and neck to see if there were any injuries here that needed attending. Her neck was covered in scratches and bruises where the Uruk had gripped her tightly, and part of the skin was so raw that it bled lymph continuously. He cleaned the wound as best he could then applied a salve that cooled the wound and brought some comfort. He did not dress the wound as he knew the air would be kinder to it than cloth but he made a mental note to make sure it was kept clean.

He could not help but notice the tear down the front of her tunic that was now crisp with dried blood. He went to open it up but her hand shot up and blocked him. He raised his hand instead and stroked her cheek with the back of it. "Please Amy, I need to see where you are hurt."

She read his lips as he spoke slowly. She slowly let go of her collar and the torn tunic fell open. Aragorn kept his face measured but could not quite keep it blank and Amy saw his eyes flash wider as he took it in.

The knife that had done this must have been serrated as the skin was torn rather than cut. He dipped a clean cloth into some clean water and began to bathe the wound. He took his time as he tried to be as gentle as possible; he could see her biting her lip and wincing with every contact. When he had cleaned the area he could finally see the extent of the damage. The wound was about six inches long and the skin either side of it was almost hanging off. He looked back at her and her face was pale as the adrenaline was wearing off, and what he was going to do next was going to hurt.

"Wait here."

When Aragorn returned he was not alone and Amy did not think she could bare it when Legolas' jaw clenched at the sight of her. He knelt in front and tried to smile knowing that staring at her with a worried look was not helping but the smile never did reach his eyes.

" _So it's bad?"_

" _It will get better, but Aragorn is going to have to put some stitches in."_

She instantly felt sick and was surprised she did not vomit there and then all over him. _"I don't suppose you boys have any local anaesthetic on you?"_

Legolas did not know what she meant but he could tell by now when she was trying to joke over her fear. _"I am going to be right here."_

" _I am sure it is fine, it will heal by itself surely."_

" _It is not a clean cut it needs stitching otherwise you are going to be left with a terrible scar."_

" _It will scar anyway so what does it matter!"_

She stood but did not attempt to leave as Aragorn stood in her way. Legolas rose also and took hold of her trembling hands. He held her there with his gaze and she felt all those feelings she had felt in the cave before the battle rise up in her.

She pulled her hands back so she could sign to him but a lady in the doorway caught her attention.

"I am...sorry...I do not mean to interrupt." Legolas and Aragorn turned at the woman's voice.

"How can we help you?" Aragorn asked.

"I... just wanted to say something to this young lady." She nodded her head at Amy.

"I am afraid she cannot hear, can we pass something on for you?" Aragorn inquired. The woman's face was still wet from tears and her face looked ravaged from grief.

"Yes, yes please." She stepped forward so she could look at Amy. "I wanted to say thank you." Her voice shook with emotion. "One of the guards told me what you did." She paused as Legolas began to interpret to Amy. "You were there for my boy, in the Keep, he...he...died...but the guard he said...he said you never left his side." Amy took a deep breath to stop the tears falling as she read Legolas' signs. She wished that was true, that she had not left his side. "The guard said he called you an angel, I wanted...I wanted to say thank you...it brings me a lot of comfort to know he was... he was not alone. He had an angel." The mother let out a harsh sob. "I am sorry, I must go now...my husband, he...I haven't found him yet."

The lady was already out of the door when Amy got the final interpretation. She was ready to tell them the full of it. She signed and Legolas spoke her words.

"I tried to save him. He had this wound in his neck, it was deep. I have never seen that much blood before, it was as if it would never run out. I think it must have been his artery. Pressure wasn't working, the cloths were soaked. I...put my fingers into the wound, I felt it, it was like rubber. He stopped. He just stopped bleeding." Legolas wanted to keep his voice free of emotion but it was hopeless and it faltered over the words. "I didn't know what he said, but he smiled. I thought if we could wait long enough you, Aragorn, would come and be able to do something."

Amy sat back down before continuing.

"Four Uruks came. I think he told me to go but I couldn't, I couldn't just leave him. One of them saw me, it came at me and I couldn't move. It pulled me up and my hand came free. It all happened so quickly after that. The knife in my boot I stabbed it. Its blood went in my mouth, but I didn't care I needed to get back to the boy."

She stopped and Legolas knelt down and ran a hand over her hair. Aragorn also knelt down and caught her eyes, "What you did was incredibly brave." Legolas' translated his words for Amy.

" _It did not work though, he had died by the time I was free."_

" _You gave him comfort, you have given his mother comfort, that is a light that will aid her through her grief."_

Legolas' words meant something to her. A light in her grief. Wasn't that what she was searching for, a light to see through her own grief and troubles? That is what she had found in Middle Earth, a light through her grief, he had been her light before his cruel words.

But now was not the time for those thoughts. _"Come on then stitch me up."_ Amy signed before she gripped Legolas' arm tightly.

She passed out before Aragorn had even started sewing the wound closed. He had had to cut away some of the torn flesh to allow for a clean scar and this had been too much for her.

Legolas held her throughout and when Aragorn was done he picked her up and carried her to the caves where makeshift beds had been placed for those recovering.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, especially those who have left multiple reveiws. I read every one and they honestly make me write harder and really enjoy this process. Thanks again guys!

Chapter Twenty Four

Gandalf made the decision for them to leave for Isengard without Amy not wanting risk arriving too late. Legolas was reluctant to leave her as all those left would be leaving to return to Edoras, he was glad though when Haldir sought him out.

"I will take care of her friend, I will take her to Edoras." The Lorien elf had noticed the way the Mirkwood elf and been tending over the human girl. "I bet you do not know whether to thank me or curse me." Legolas raised an eyebrow in question and the Lorien elf laughed. "I am the one that found her and brought her into your neat little existence, and now look at the state of you."

"Is it terribly obvious to everyone who sees me?" Legolas sighed.

"Well seemingly not obvious to everyone otherwise she would have noticed by now." Haldir paused and watched Legolas run a gentle hand over her brow. "You know, you could just tell her."

"Are you not going to advise me that it is unwise for an elf to fall for a mortal?"

"I think we are beyond that point now, and besides I can say nothing your father will not say when he finds out." Legolas let out an unsteady breath at this. He had tried to keep that particular thought from his mind. His father would not stand for such a relationship, and besides he did not know what relationship he was having. "Those are some deep thoughts you are having my friend."

"I would not even know where to start in telling her how I feel. I doubt she even wants to speak to me. I said some things that I did not mean."

Haldir placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then apologise and make sure she knows that you mean in, and then stop hiding this from her. Does she not deserve the truth?"

...

She could not remember straight away what had happened so when she did not immediately recognised the scenery around her a fleeting thought appeared that perhaps she had made it home at last. She could not tell if she was surprised or not that her initial reaction was blind panic but she certainly was shocked when she felt a flood of relief at the unmistakable smell of horses. That was definitely something you did not smell in North London.

A blond elf was also something you did not often come across in North London. Haldir smiled warmly as she focused on him. He placed a hand on her forehead almost as if he were checking her temperature. In his other hand he held a small piece of paper that had been folded neatly once. He offered it to her and she took it immediately and read the few lines he had scribbled there.

 **We are at Edoras. How are you feeling?**

She took the paper and replied.

 **Fuzzy.**

The elf smiled. He reached into the front pocket of his tunic and pulled out another folded piece of paper offering it to her.

She gently pushed herself up and took the paper.

Haldir patted her hand unsure of whether to say anything. He decided to give her some space so stood and picked up a tray that sat on the nightstand beside her bed. He gestured that he would fetch her some food and drink and left her alone with her thoughts.

Amy opened the note and saw beautiful scripted writing. Writing that she recognised.

 **Amy,**

 **I will not be there when you awaken. I wanted to be there but I hope that you will understand that I needed to ride with Gandalf to Isengard. I hope to be back by your side soon.**

 **I still owe you a proper apology and if you will let me I hope that we can talk upon my return.**

 **Please find it in your heart to forgive me.**

 **Your faithful servant,**

 **Legolas.**

She smiled despite herself. 'Your faithful servant.' She was reminded of the time he had served her breakfast, and when she had bossed him around the kitchens of Lothlorien, all the times he had tended to her wounds and kept her company. Had that all been just a distraction to him, or were those words said in the heat of the moment when he had thought he had lost his friend.

As much as it had hurt, she missed him. She missed having him by her side, having someone close to her. She would let him speak. How could she not? But, she would need to prepare herself before they spoke so that she did not end up saying something she regretted this time.

And that was when she realised. It would be a long time before she would get the chance to talk to him again. They would not return to Edoras, the three hunters along with Aragorn's kin and the twins of Rivendell would ride straight to Dunharrow. Gandalf would be swift to ride to Gondor with Pippin and Merry would return only briefly at the side of Theoden.

Was this the end of her journey with them? She would not lie to herself and deny the relief she felt initially. Knowing that she would not have to face the horrors that lay before all of them felt like a dark cloud breaking. What surprised her most though, that despite her relief she felt a trace of sadness. She would miss them, she would worry about them, she would worry about him.

She then felt panic. What would happen to her now that they had gone? She had become reliant on them, although not wanting to have to be reliant on anyone. Would she remain in Edoras with those who had been left here, the injured, the children, the few? Would she be able to get to Gondor to celebrate their return? Perhaps they would come back for her, Aragorn would decide that it was worth the time to come and get her to have her with them. Who was she kidding, it was fairly obvious she was useless as a guide? They would go on without her and she would have to make her own decisions from now on. With little choice she had followed them thus far so it was with trepidation that she realised it was time to take her life back into her own hands.

It was not so much of a plan, more of a distraction to get her through the coming days. She had offered up her services to the kitchens of the Great Hall with the intention of being useful to those around her. She had to communicate entirely by writing things down but on the whole most people avoided her and left her to get on with her jobs. It was like being back at home, she thought wryly as she kneaded the dough in front of her. The mouths of Rohan did not expect show stopping fruit tarts laced with crème patissiere but they had a grand appetite for freshly baked bread which Amy was more than happy to and capable of knocking up.

Three days she had spent in her new routine, waking with the dawn and busying herself in the kitchen. When her day was over she would find whatever books and maps she could and spend hours looking over them, trying to absorb as much knowledge about this new world as she could. Her shaky knowledge of the Lord of the Rings trilogy would only get her so far in Middle Earth and if she wanted to get to Gondor when the war was over then she would need to start preparing.

On the fourth morning she took up her seat upon the steps to the Great Hall beneath a lofty held lantern and began leafing through a heavy text. She had no clue what it was about as it was written in a language she did not understand, but dotted throughout it were hand drawn picture of what could only be described as cake. Amy smiled to herself, she had happened upon a recipe book, the format being so obvious despite the language barrier. It was comforting to find something that reminded of her home. Being alone again had cause her to think more and more about the world she had left.

She had taken what she had for granted really and it was only when Legolas asked her endless questions about Earth and she saw the wonder in his eyes that she realised what it was to live in that world. It was hard yes, but nothing compared with what her life would now be. She was not frightened though, she was resolved. Resolved to taking this new opportunity and adventure with both hands and not closing herself away waiting for it all to end. It would be difficult, she knew that, especially with her lack of hearing but she could get through it.

Just the day before she had had an enlightening moment when helping to deliver bread to the villagers who could not make it up to the Great Hall for their rations. Knocking on a rotting wooden door she was surprised to see someone she recognised but she could not place the man before her. He seemed to recognise her also from his broad smile and seemed better at placing Amy when he grabbed hold of her and pulled her into a tight hug. He beamed at her upon releasing her finally and then chuckled when he noticed her confused if not a little frightened face. He pulled up his shirt in answer to the unspoken question and pointed enthusiastically and the stitched and scorching red line across his stomach. _"It looks worse than it is. Flesh wound really."_ Amy's mouth opened agog as he signed perfectly to her. Before she had time to question or compute he waved her inside not leaving her any choice but to follow him in.

A small lady came bustling into the main room that she stood in, and when she saw Amy her face lit up. Immediately her hands came up in a barrage of signs, _"Oh! You must be the girl that helped my Dannor!"_ She crossed the as quickly as she had entered it and enveloped Amy in a tight hug.

The man, namely Dannor, gently extracted his wife from Amy with an apologetic smile. _"You will suffocate the poor woman!"_

" _You sign?"_ Amy managed meekly.

" _Why yes! You did not think you would be the only deaf person in Middle Earth?"_ The woman chuckled kindly as she signed.

Amy did not think that, but she had not expected to meet one so easily. She spent the afternoon with Dannor and his wife Esther, easily and casually talking about food, fun, friends and life. It was the first time she had done such a thing in many years. They also spoke about love, although she left that topic to them. Dannor had met Esther ten years ago and thought that she hated him because she never spoke to him, ignored when he had tried to woo her and looked at him with a strange look on her face. He soon found out that she was of course deaf and that the strange look was her utterly confused as to who this man was and what he was saying to her. He went away for a while and learnt some rudimentary sign language and that was that.

…...

The morning disappeared as she leafed through her book so absorbed as she was in it. She jumped when she felt strong hands on her shoulders.

" _You will catch a cold."_ Legolas smiled as he knelt down and begun to pull at her cloak again so that it covered her more fully.

She dropped the book and wrapped her arms around him burying her face in his shoulder. He was back. He had come back.

"I should take a look at her wound." Aragorn's voice broke through and Legolas reluctantly broke the embrace.

" _Aragorn would like to check you over, see how you are healing."_

She did not like the sound of that but nodded her acceptance. There was no point trying to hide from the ranger. _"Are you coming?"_

Legolas paused before shaking his head. _"There is something I must do. I will come to you later."_

She did her best to hide her disappointment.

…..

Once in her room she tried to rest, stretching out on her bed. Aragorn had gone into healer mode and told her rather impolitely that she looked terrible and needed to sleep. The wound was healing nicely but the stitches were not ready to come out. He could see that she had been scratching at the wound.

" _Sleep. Eat."_ He gestured.

She nodded but sleep had not been coming easily and she struggled to dose off even now, despite the relief she felt at their return. She did not know how long she had lain there before irritably getting up and standing in front of the long mirror propped against a wall. She stared at her reflection for a while and almost did not recognise herself. Her face was thinner than she remembered but she did not think it looked too unhealthy for it as the tan she had accumulated from days on end outside gave her a warm glow. Her hair looked as if it had seen better days but at least it was clean and the sun had bleached it somewhat so what was a dirty blond now shone a little brighter. She had also lost weight across her body and she dreamed briefly of eating a frosted cupcake to put it back on. She did not look particularly skinny now but she could tell an inch had disappeared from the way her jeans no longer hugged her hips tightly.

She had pulled on the clothes she had arrived in as a form of comfort. The denim fabric of her jeans felt like silk in comparison to the leggings she had been wearing for the past months. She had pulled on her plain white t-shirt in a hurry so whilst standing in front of the mirror she pulled it off and stared at the wound down her chest. It was an angry red and the stitches were black in contrast. Although Aragorn had done a neat job, better perhaps than a doctor on Earth could have done with such a wound and under such conditions, she could not look at it for long. It made her stomach clench to look at it. She was not a particularly vain person but she did care somewhat about how she looked. She had a scar on her back from a simple fall in the shower a long time ago but it was small and straight, and over time it had faded. She could not imagine that the sight before her now would fade, no matter how long she gave it.

She tugged on the t-shirt again pleased that the jersey material did not scratch at her chest like the tunic had done.

Finally, she ran her fingers through her hair then turned to the small wooden shutters that opened out onto a view of the plains. She opened them letting the cold air rush in. The sky had turned dark and the stars were beginning to shine through. She realised that she had lost the whole afternoon and found her earlier disappointment growing. Legolas had not come to her. She sat on the edge of her bed and pulled on her trainers, she was not going to stay in her room all evening waiting for him.

…..


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

A great feast and party was to be held to honour the fallen dead. Amy had missed the feast despite Aragorn's insistence that she eat but she had slept so had at least met half of his request. She wandered around the hall keeping to the edges trying to spot anyone she knew. She was not particularly short but struggled to see past the tall men that dominated the hall. She momentarily thought to go back to her room, suddenly intimidated by the crowds of strangers. She instinctively rose a hand to her chest if almost to shield it. She was used to feeling like an odd one out but all of a sudden she felt very vulnerable. She also felt a little sorry for herself. The fear and misery of what had happened at Helm's Deep still hung over her like a dark cloud. She had found herself increasingly tearful over the past few days. If she was at home the evening would call for a tub of Ben and Jerry's Dublin Mudslide, a plate of white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, a bottle of wine, and a rubbish film that had little dialogue but plenty of action scenes. A moment like this called for Daniel Craig.

Middle Earth however, was out of ice cream and cookies, and there was of course no Daniel Craig, but what it did have was alcohol. Amy had never been a big drinker but tonight she would indulge herself and take the edge off, hell if she could drown out the thoughts with copious amounts of beer she would! Theoden said they were to celebrate the battle and send the dead off with a party worthy of such heroes, and so that is what she would do.

The hall was heavy with the smell of ale as the men of Rohan charged their glasses together in song and celebration. Amy stuck out like a sore thumb amongst them not just because of her clothing but because there were few women in the great hall.

She wondered briefly how Eowyn could bear it but then thought perhaps she was hardly the person to ponder such a thing as she knew little about keeping company no matter what the gender.

She drew quite a lot of attention but as the alcohol begun to snake through her bloodstream she grew bolder and paid little no notice of it as she moved through the throngs of people, only pausing to watch the band strike up in the centre of the hall. She felt the vibrations of the drum and the people around her who clapped and stomped loudly to the song. The beat ran through her body and she did not know why but it felt nice, as her skin pricked at the sensation. It had been a long time since she had felt music. She never played it around the house as she always thought it pointless, but she remembered a time when she was younger and she had loved music. A lot of people would question how indeed a deaf person could love music, that taking away the sound took away the music itself, but to Amy it was how music felt, and that how it made you feel made music music.

She felt a sadness wash over when she thought back over the last few years. She had tossed away most of her CD's four years ago, choosing to forgo all sound. She watched the TV on mute and had taken down the speakers for the doorbell. She had imposed silence upon her house.

She shook the feeling off, she was not at home now, and she did not need to dwell on the past. She had decided before Helms Deep that she would open up a bit and take down some of these walls she had built for herself.

She turned away from the band and saw tables laden with food, roaring fires and barrels of wine and ale being drained into tankards of thirsty men. Her appetite was still yet to properly return but in the first time for a long time she was dying for another drink. She was surprised to see Eomer serving out the drinks but supposed he felt it was his duty to the men that had fought for his land.

Eomer studied her as she approached and bowed his head gently when she arrived opposite him. He smiled and held out a tankard for her. Her smiled matched his as she took it and held it out as he poured out some ale.

"That's it lass! Get it down you! It will make you strong." Gimli's voice boomed as he patted her on the back with exuberance almost knocking her forward and causing her to spill a bit of her newly acquired drink.

The dwarf was nodding encouragingly but she hesitated. The wine she had been drinking was bad enough, burning her throat, so she could only imagine what the ale must be like. She did not want to refuse though and put the vessel to her lips taking her first taste of Middle Earth ale. She resisted the urge to cough as the strong heady taste hit her throat and she swallowed the mouthful with a slight grimace on her face. Gimli looked to be roaring with laughter and Eomer almost looked impressed that she had not spat the stuff across the table.

Whatever was in this it was definitely of a higher percentage than the beer back home and she was convinced too many of these and she would be on the floor. She was about to see if she could subtly pour it somewhere when no one was looking and change to the wine when Legolas appeared almost from nowhere with a disapproving look on his face.

He had watched her come in, watched as she had moved through the room and was glad when she did not notice him. He had thought the few days away from her would help get things straight in his head, help him decide on a course of action, but after the conversation he had had with Gandalf that afternoon he felt back to square one.

…..

"Gandalf, may I speak with you please?"

The wizard coughed slightly as he pulled his trusty pipe away from his lips. "Yes, *cough* yes… of course." He patted the bench beside him gesturing for the elf to sit down. "What is it you wish to speak about?"

Legolas took a steadying breath. "I wish to speak about Amy."

Gandalf mumbled almost to himself. "I see."

"Do you know how she got here?"

Gandalf narrowed his eyes. "Let me see…" He looked deep in thought, as if he was trying to recall a memory. "Ah yes, yes I do."

Legolas waited a beat but it was obvious that Gandalf was stopping there and saying no more.

"Could she return to her world?"

"Yes she could."

Legolas sighed, this was not going to be easy. "Does she know that? Does she know how to return?"

"She knows as much as you do I would imagine, although I am sure she will work it out in good time."

"Have people come before, from her world to ours?"

Gandalf smiled. "There have been a few, as I am sure there will be more, but not many and not often, and not always in the right order?"

"The right order? You said that to Amy before, she told me. You have been to her world?"

Gandalf brought his pipe back to his lips and took a long inhale whilst the elf patiently waited for his response. "Not yet, but I am told that I will."

"This does not make sense Gandalf."

"What do you really want to know Legolas?" The wizard asked pointedly. "Is it really important how she got here or are you more interested in how you get to her world?" Legolas looked up in a start at the wizard. "Do not look at me like that? You may be an elf, but I have walked this earth for much longer than you. Do you think I do not know about your father's ultimatum, do you think I do not know why you were so willing to come on this quest?"

Legolas looked ashamed. "I never thought I would be someone that would run away from something, but I find more and more now I find myself not wanting to return to my home. I love Mirkwood but…it does not feel like home anymore."

"I will not advocate running away Legolas. Your father means well even if he is a little hard on you."

"I know this."

Gandalf looked hard at Legolas. He had known the elf since he was knee high. So full of life and wonder the wizard often thought he would outgrow the dark forest he called home. He was not surprised when the young prince volunteered for the Fellowship and less surprised when the elf became attached to the girl from another world.

"Legolas, I am not in the business on handing out advice although this does not seem to stop people from coming to me for it. I will however, ask you a question? Think on this question and you will know what to do. Does that sound fair?"

Legolas nodded.

"Is yours a selfish heart?"

…..

" _Is that a good idea?"_ Legolas signed when he was before her. He gave a pointed look to the tankard in her hand.

He noticed the way her eyes flashed with annoyance, he noticed the way Eomer cast an appreciative look over body now that she was no longer looking at him. He could not help but also let his eyes drop down taking in those strange clothes she had been found in. There was something about the way they held onto every curve of her body that made his blood heat. He turned his attention back to her face as she swallowed down the ale and could not help but worry that drinking was probably not the best thing for her to be doing.

Amy was about to place the tankard down so she could sign, with every intention of picking it up again but she paused when a better idea came to her. She put the tankard to her lips and did something she had not done since she was 17. She downed the whole thing.

When she was done she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then held out her tankard to Eomer who dutifully refilled it with a sly smile on his face.

" _Amy can we talk please."_

She was tempted to down another in response as the warmth that ran through her was nice, but did not want to risk pushing her luck. She had been close to gagging with that first one and thought spitting it everywhere would probably ruin her point. He wanted to talk but right now she wanted to drink. This evening she wanted to drown all her sorrows and sleep in a beer induced oblivion before facing all the consequences tomorrow. _"This is supposed to be a celebration. Here,"_ She pushed the tankard towards him. _"You should try some, it might loosen you up."_

She saw the emotion flicker in his eyes that no one else saw, pride, hurt and of course a little bit of anger.

Legolas wanted to say something, he could see the darkness in her eyes and he knew what she was trying to do. She wanted to push all the thoughts of the last few days away and push him away in the process with alcohol. If they had been alone, he probably would have confronted her but they were not and there was something about the way Eomer looked at her that caused a tightening in his stomach. He was jealous. He was jealous about the easy smiles they had shared with each other and the way she had laughed when Eomer had downed two pints in quick succession. And so Legolas did something he had never done before, 17 or not. He lifted the tankard to his lips and quicker than most would have imagined he drank the lot then slammed the vessel on the table.

Gimli let out a roar of laughter and patted Legolas on the back. "That's it laddy! Let's see what you are made of."

"I thought elves did not drink real ale. I thought wine was more your drink." Eomer's words were a statement not a question and it had the desired effect when he saw the elf's jaw tighten.

"A challenge!" Gimli roared holding his tankard aloft.

Amy was watching the whole exchange and felt guilt rise in her. She felt as if she had forced his hand to do this and yet she could see the palpable tension between the elf and man and something inside her, something deep down enjoyed seeing the challenges between them and the male posturing.

"What are the rules?" Legolas asked.

"No pauses, no spills." Eomer answered his eyes narrowing slightly.

"And no regurgitation!" Gimli was away raising the first tankard to his lips. Between his first slurps he managed to finish his sentence, "Last one standing wins!"

"Let's drink to victory!" The men around them roared as a crowd started to gather to watch.

The drinking game started and Legolas matched Gimli drink for drink. Amy watched the elf's face as he relentlessly downed pint after pint. He was not enjoying himself she could tell but she could see the competitiveness in his eyes. The strange thing was it was not Gimli he seemed to be in competition with. She could see Eomer was goading him on and she knew that it was because of her.

She was not vain enough to believe they were competing over her but she was smart enough to see it was her they were trying to score brownie points with. She wondered on this for a moment. For Eomer she imagined it was because she was one of few women in the room and after a few beers no matter what world you were in men did tend to start vying for female attention. But Legolas? She knew she had been snide telling him to loosen up but she had not condoned an all-out ale marathon.

She cursed herself for over-thinking things again and downed what was now her fourth tankard of ale enjoying the warmth that spread through her body with it. Her head felt lighter now and all thoughts were foggier.

"Heh heh heh!" Gimli chuckled to himself as he let out a rather loud burp along with a foul smelling fart. "Here, here! Raaar! It's the dwarves that go swimming with little, hairy women haha!"

Legolas took little noticed of Gimli's deteriorating sobriety and stretched out his fingers. "I feel something." Eomer took this opportunity to smile smugly hoping the elf had drunk more than he could handle. "I slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me." He paused no longer and downed his next tankard.

Eomer stood slightly agog that the Legolas had not even began to slur yet. The empty tankards in front of him would have been enough to wipe out the strongest dwarf, which is exactly what was happening to Gimli.

"What did I say!? He can't hold his liquor!" The dwarf's eyes crossed as he spoke and with one last burp that produced a white foam that clung to his beard, he finally toppled over backward and landed with a loud thud on the floor.

"Game over." Legolas downed his final tankard and gave Eomer a pointed look. This did not seem to deter the man though and he smiled widely and held out a hand to Amy.

"Would you join me for a dance?"

Amy was well and truly on her way to being drunk now so when offered the hand for a dance she did something that she would never have done before. She placed her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor.

She could feel the beat of the music but it had been a long time since she had danced and jumping around in a nightclub was very different to the dances happening around her. Eomer could see she was at a lost at what to do so he took hold of her tightly and lead her around the floor in a fast paced jig like dance. She felt as if she was spinning around the room and Eomer held her close so her stumbling feet would not cause her to fall.

Legolas felt that clenching in his stomach again. He had never been someone that felt jealousy keenly but as he watched Eomer's hands slide down Amy's back and rest hungrily on her waist and hips he had to stop himself from storming over there and wrenching her out of the Rohirrim's arms.

He knew he held no claim over her, he had not told her of his feeling for her but it still hurt. To see her smiling and laughing in another man's arms hurt more than he had thought such a trivial thing could hurt. He couldn't watch anymore so turned, stepped over Gimli and returned to his room.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

Everything was a bit of a blur for Amy as she danced the night away in a cloud of alcohol. She managed to extricate herself from Eomer long enough to get a well needed glass of water. The fog of alcohol had left her feeling relaxed if a little sick. She felt a hand on her shoulder and hoped that it was not Eomer come to drag her back to the floor again.

Aragorn's face greeted her instead. He pointed at her chest where the wound lie posing a question with his eyes.

She shrugged in answer not knowing what to say. Even if he could understand her signs she would not know how to express how she felt. She could feel her drunkenness ebbing away under his sad gaze. She could see pity in his eyes and she did not think she could bear it for much longer.

Aragorn saw her discomfort; he also saw the bleariness in her eyes from the ale she had consumed. He had not failed to notice how she had sought refuge in drink that night, nor did he judge her decision. He himself had had quite a few to numb the raw edges of his nerves. He posed another question by spelling out a name. The alphabet he did remember.

" _L.e.g.o.l.a.s_?" He had not seen his friend for a few hours now and although it was not unlike the elf to disappear for time alone, it was unlike him to leave Amy's side especially when he had been so eager to return to her from Isengard.

She had not seen him since the drinking game with Gimli. The more she thought about it though, it dawned on her that not only has she not seen him but that she had not bothered to look for him. She had been rude to him, ignored him, then forgotten about him.

She ran a hand through her hair and pushed it from her face. She did not need to answer Aragorn he could see what she was thinking. He patted her shoulder gently and left her to her thoughts. Thoughts that were breaking through despite her best efforts of the night to keep them at bay.

….

The celebration was still in full flow but Amy left as unnoticed as she could and stepped out into the cold night air. She had brought a glass of water out with her and drank it hurriedly. She suddenly felt as if her chest was compacting.

The wound was burning and her breath came quickly and it occurred to her that she was having what could only be described as a panic attack. She had only had a panic attack once in her life, when she was twelve and some little brat at a birthday party locked her in the toilets on a really hot day and she was there for six hours.

She tried to catch her breath but it seemed to be more and more out of her control and in her mind as much as it annoyed her she could think of only one place she wanted to be.

….

Amy hammered on the door praying that he would be there and open it. She had run to his room so her breath was coming even quicker now. She wished keenly in that moment that she could hear, so she could know whether or not he was in there.

When the door opened the relief that washed through was like a wave.

Legolas had not been asleep but he had been lost in thought, so much so that he did not even hear the first knock on his door. When he had realised someone had wanted him he had every intention of ignoring it until he heard the breathy rasps from beyond it that alerted him to the distress of the person.

When he saw her standing there, hands braced on the doorframe and face flushed he did not know what to make of it. He was even more dumbfounded when she stepped into the room and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest.

He had never been so confused in his life, he had heard the old stereotype about the changing moods of women, and he had always chosen not to subscribe to that but her behaviour tonight was baffling him.

She was ice cold and from the convulsions of her chest he could tell she was struggling for breath. He had removed his tunic and undershirt earlier so could even feel the sting of her tears on his chest. He put aside all his confusion, hurt and anger from earlier and wrapped his arms around her. He kicked the door closed with his foot then ran a soothing hand up and down her back. He whispered elven words of comfort into her ear knowing that she would feel them if not hear them.

Eventually her breath evened out and he felt her relaxing in his arms. He then began to worry that something had happened to her to cause such an outburst. He had left her drunk in a room full of drunken men. His heart clenched in fear. Reluctantly he broke the embrace and pushed her back to arm's length so he could look at her properly. She looked tired and a little tipsy but she did not look hurt.

He drew his arms back so he could sign. " _Amy, what is it, what is wrong, did someone hurt you?"_

She stared back at him as she wiped her face. Every confusing thought she had disappeared and only one was left loud and clear in her head as she looked at him.

Legolas persisted. _"Are you hurt, did something happen? Was it Eomer?"_

" _No, no. I am fine, it is nothing."_ She forced herself to take a step back lest her body act upon what her mind was currently imagining.

" _It is nothing; you come running to my door in the middle of the night, in tears, for nothing?"_ He felt the anger rise again as the image of Eomer's hand on her hips flashed in his mind. " _Shouldn't you be getting back to the party, I would not want you to miss out on the fun!"_ If he had been speaking, he would have spat the last few words at her. He immediately regretted it though, he was supposed to be earning her forgiveness not giving her more cause to push him away.

She felt her own spite rise inside of her. _"Perhaps I should, at least I am wanted there. I did not mean to be such a burden."_

Legolas had the decency to look ashamed as once again his words were used against him. _"I am sorry, please Amy, I know we need to talk but not like this, you are drunk and I…"_ He stopped and she took her opportunity.

" _So what if I am drunk? I do not need to be sober to know that you are a jerk!"_ Maybe she was more drunk than she perhaps thought as she struggled to put a dampener on the frustration and hurt that had welled up inside since before the battle of Helm's Deep.

Legolas did not know what a jerk was, but from the shape her hand made he figured it was not a good thing.

" _I have lost your trust, I know this, but please, please believe me that everything I said was wrong and untrue."_

She did not have a smart response this time as he ardent gaze continued to plead with her. She did not have any carefully planned words for this moment and knew any more rash ones would just make the situation work. She retreated into her silence and began to back away from him to the door.

" _Amy, please."_ She could see the uncertainty clearly on his face, his vulnerability was shining through and she could see as clear as day his desperation to make things right.

With the alcohol still strong in her blood, her panic attack leaving her nerves frayed, and the sight of him shirtless and emotional before her it was too much.

She went to leave, a cowardly action but one she felt was her only option. However, Legolas had other ideas and so when one step away from the door she felt his hand on her arm. She felt it there again, that feeling, like a passing of energy from him to her. She had felt it before on the plains of Rohan when she thought her legs would fail her and he took her hand. She stopped and turned back to him, when she felt his hand shaking. He looked angry. She placed her hand over his instinctively but was surprised when he pulled back.

" _So you just leave?"_ He signed abruptly. _"You just run away? Do you have nothing to say to me? You come here for my comfort and then leave when you have had your fill?!"_

He was standing so close to her that his hands were almost a blur and her eyes struggled to focus on them.

He took her further silence badly and suddenly felt compelled like he had never done so before to ask the question that had run through his head since the moment he met her.

He took a step back and signed _, "Why won't you talk?"_

Her own anger already pique now burst forth again. _"What do you want me to say!? I know you want my forgiveness. Fine I forgive you! Is that enough?! Can I go now?!"_

" _That is not what I meant and you know it. I know you can talk, why won't you speak?"_

She was taken aback and her body visibly reacted to it as she took a step backwards, her back crashing into the door. _"I don't know what you mean."_ Her hands were now the ones shaking.

" _Yes you do, speak to me."_ He knew why he was pushing for this, he wanted to be the one that she spoke to, the one that she trusted above all. He risked the breaking of their currently frayed friendship but his wood elf stubbornness coursed through his veins.

He had cornered her in the one conversation above all that she would have done everything to avoid. Other than running out of the room there was not much she could do other than deflect the conversation. " _Is it not time for you to mind your own business?!"_

" _You are not going to push me away, not this time."_

" _No because that would not be possible! Why must you know everything? Is it so you can throw it back in my face?!"_

Legolas blanched guiltily _. "Of course not. I care about you!"_

" _You care about me? If you truly cared you would leave me be."_

" _Is that what you want? You want me to leave you alone?"_ His signs now were slower as fire turned to ice.

That is not what she wanted. She knew that. Her breath was coming faster again and she raised her hands to her face pressing her fingers to her temples. The loneliness that she had carried around with her now hit her like a ton of bricks. She had lost everyone, not only through tragedy but also because of her own doing.

He could see her distress and knew that this time he was the sole cause of it. His rancour disappeared instantly. Hands that had dealt many harsh words now gently covered her own, fingers interlacing.

She brought her head up to meet his eyes. "I don't want to be alone." It was a whisper but he saw the words on her lips, the sound coming from her mouth.

He let her hands go, his thumb trailing down her face and grazing across her bottom lip. It took all of his control not to lean forward and replace his hand with his own mouth. He took an unsteady breath and small step backwards. _"You are not alone, not anymore."_

She could not help the tears that spilled down her cheeks. _"What about you?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _What about you, what do you want?"_

" _Why do you ask that?"_

" _Because there is something in your eyes, something you are keeping from me, something that you will not say! What do you want?"_

He did not want to answer that question with words or signs. He knew what he wanted, he wanted her. Gandalf's question had played over and over in his mind. Legolas knew now, his heart was indeed a selfish heart, and he would do what he could to meet his heart's desire.

He brought his hands up. _"I want to kiss you."_


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

" _I want to kiss you."_

She did nothing for a moment other than stare at his hands. She was waiting for them to move again, to sign something else, to correct their mistake, but they didn't move. They stayed still. Slowly she looked up to his face once again, that glorious face. She could see the breath that he held.

She lifted her hands up and with a slight tremble she signed back.

" _Then kiss me."_

She thought perhaps that he would be shocked at her reply, but he made no sign of it as he crossed the room in one swift movement and crashed his lips against hers.

The shock of it left her frozen for a second but soon enough she found herself responding. She felt his chest rumble as he let out a low groan as her mouth granted his tongue access and as she pressed her body against his.

The alcohol had made her reckless she was sure of that but she knew what she was doing as the passion coursed through her. No amount of re-thinking and reasoning could stop her as the ache of loneliness disappeared and her body melted into his.

Legolas had also succumb to his own passion as disbelievingly she responded to his kiss and touch.

Desperate hands clawed for contact and Amy found herself pushed against the door as Legolas pulled her up so that their faces were level. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and Legolas thought for a moment that his own legs would fail him as the final shred of control he had slipped away.

Legolas had bedded many elleths in his immortal life, and some women too, but obviously never a woman from Earth. The way she pushed her body into his and her mouth fought for dominance was something he had never experienced before. It was an abandon he had not felt from someone else before and it made a fire course through his veins.

Amy was feeling something similar. She had slept with a couple of men in her life but they did not compare with the strength she found from Legolas. The way his strong hands roamed from her neck, down her sides and onto her hips made her hands fist into his hair lest she lose her grip with her legs and fall.

When he finally broke their kiss and his lips made their way down her neck Amy got her wish for the night. All thoughts were gone. For the both of them now, it was their bodies in full control.

His hands were settled on her hips but slowly he let one drift up inside her t shirt so he could graze her skin with his fingers. His touch almost burned her and she instinctively pressed her hips forward.

Again Legolas let out a deep groan at the contact and he finally stopped his trail of kisses for a brief moment. Amy did not hesitate and she tipped her head down so she had access to his neck. A flash of a memory when she had sat with him on the plains of Rohan and had revelled in touching his skin came to her and she kissed, licked and bit without abandon this time.

Legolas had to reposition his right arm under her to hold her to him whilst his left arm braced himself against the door.

Her hand roamed over his shoulders and back delighting in the fact that he was already shirtless. Her nails dug in at one point causing him to let out a hiss of pleasure at the pain. She pushed his hair to the side and then did the one thing she had imagined doing once upon a time in a dream. She took his earlobe into her mouth and sucked none too gently. She could not help the sly smile that spread across her face when she felt his whole body tense. She slowed down the current pace as she made her way up the delicate ear nipping with her teeth and teasing with her tongue.

When she reached the tip she paused and felt him hold his breath. With agonising deliberateness she flicked the tip of her tongue over the tip of his pointed ear.

The pleasure that coursed through him from the simple act was enough to make him lose his grip on the door and he almost dropped her as his hand slid down the wood. She gripped him tightly though with her thighs and she felt then the hardness between his legs. She stifled a moan as it pressed against her, and once more she dug her fingernails into his back. She felt the muscles ripple beneath her hands as he regained his balance and took hold of her full weight. He claimed her mouth once more and carried her towards the bed.

Rather than lay her down he sat on the bed so that she was straddling him as they continued to delve into each other's mouths.

Legolas' hands now gripped tightly onto her hips relishing in how her strange trouser clung to them. His hands then wandered up and he hastily broke away from the kiss as he pulled her t shirt up over her head. He took his time to let his gaze travel over her.

Her hips disappeared tantalising in her low slung jeans, and her skin was golden and firm across her stomach. His gaze moved up over her curves into her tiny waist then up to her breasts that moved up and down with her heavy breaths. They were covered by her bra, which was something Legolas had never seen before and he ran a gentle hand over the black lace appreciatively.

Amy watched his eyes as he look at her. When she looked in a mirror she did not see what he saw, in his eyes she felt beautiful. She twirled some of his hair between her fingers and relished its silken feel. As his hands roamed her body and he pulled her closer so that their hips crashed together she let out a shaky moan…and then it all fell apart.

She saw where his gaze had landed and saw the flicker of anger in his eyes breaking through the lust and passion. Her hand pulled away from his hair and she placed it over her chest almost as if to shield his sight from the horror of the wound, and with that the spell was broken.

'What the hell am I doing?' Her brain all but screamed at her. She scrabbled off of him backing away with her right arm around her chest to cover her.

" _Amy, wait..."_ Legolas signed quickly as he sprung up before trying to grab hold of her desperate to bring her back into his embrace.

She ignored him and frantically looked around for her t shirt. She saw it strewn on the pillow of the bed so she dodged his reaching arms, grabbed it and pulled it over her head.

He caught hold of her hand whilst the t shirt was halfway down her body. She froze. He risked letting her go so he could sign. _"Please, wait."_

She straightened her shirt with shaky hands then signed hastily, _"I'm sorry."_

She left.

…..

If she could have heard she would have winced at the loud shattering of a glass that came from Legolas' room.

He was so angry with himself that he had hurled the empty glass across the room satisfied when it smashed into many pieces on the wooden boarded wall. How could he have been so stupid? What had he hoped to achieve?! That he could bed her and that would make her forgive him, love him? That his father would arrange their wedding ceremony himself with a broad smile? His blood was still boiling with un-sated passion and his skin still ached for her touch but his mind had lost the fog of lust which was replaced by a rage at his actions. How could he even go about repairing the damage he had done?

He sat back on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands. Had he crossed a line he could not go back from? He felt shame wash over him that he could treat her so basely and he wished he could blame it on the ale he had consume but in truth he could barely feel its affects. Amy, however, had been drinking and could feel its effects and it scared him that that was why she had responded to his kiss, to his touch. She was drunk and lonely and he had taken advantage.

He had a sudden urge to follow her, to find her so he could apologise, explain, do something to make it better, but he stopped himself because he knew he wanted to follow her so he could touch her again, and taste her.

He pulled on his tunic and cloak drawing the hood up over his head and skulked out to the battlements outside the great hall of Meduseld. There he remained through the night, until dawn was a whisper away.

"I thought I might find you out here." Legolas did not turn at Aragorn's voice. "It seems someone broke a glass in your room, I assume it was not you as clumsiness is not one of your traits." Aragorn stood by his friend's side and follow his gaze to the sky.

"The stars are veiled, something stirs in the east... A sleepless malice." Legolas said finally. "The eye of the enemy is moving."

"Let us hope he does not see what we do not want seen." Aragorn's thoughts turned to Frodo briefly before he studied his friend. It was a rare sight indeed to see the elf looking tired and drawn but before him now Legolas did not look himself. "You left the celebrations early, I thought you were enjoying yourself the way you were throwing back those pints." Legolas remained silent unable to think of a suitable reply. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

Legolas let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "You do not need my problems added to your overburdened shoulders and beside I am far too ashamed to admit my actions."

Aragorn's face creased in concern. "Should I be worried?"

"No, at least I hope not."

"I do not mean to sound as if I am lecturing you Legolas but something must be done about this, you cannot continue like you are. I need you strong by my side not distracted."

"Distracted?" Legolas repeated and let out a cold laugh. "I am sorry Aragorn. I gave you and Lord Elrond my word and I am unfulfilling in my duty."

Aragorn clasped a firm hand on the elf's shoulder as he tipped his head down in defeat and shame. He thought back to the long years he had known the elf and if was sure he had never seen him like this. "That is not what I meant, I do not want your apologies friend. I meant we need to come to some sort of resolution; nothing will happen if you remain sulking in the shadows. You must talk to her, be damned the consequences! Legolas your heart is too far gone for us to preserve it from hurt, what do you have to lose?"

Legolas thought on this. "Her friendship."

"But can you bear being friends with her when just being near her torments you so badly."

"What does it make me though if I cannot accept her friendship as enough. She does not owe me her love, I am not even sure I deserve her friendship."

"That is true enough, but you have chosen your path my friend, it is about time you walked down it." Legolas made no attempt to hide his reaction to Aragorn's words. Everything the man said was of course correct but he had never expected him to say them so forthrightly. "Do you expect her reaction to be that bad?"

If Aragorn had asked that question three hours ago he would have pondered it and perhaps taken courage from it, but now was a different story. "I think now would be the worst possible moment."

"Why? What has happened?"

Legolas was about to answer taking a long breath before finding the words when he felt something, a dark force shifted into his unseeing eyes. He looked to the sky then back to Aragorn urgently. "He is here!"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

She was staring at herself in the mirror again.

Although only a few hours had passed she no longer recognised the woman in front of her.

Growing up she had been content, confident and kind. Then she had become lonely, isolated and cold. And now. Now she did not know who she was.

For the first time in a long time she wanted to talk to someone. Katie would know what to say, Katie could give her advice. It might not be great advice but at least it would be from someone that still cared about her. Someone that would understand every word she wanted to get across.

It occurred to Amy then. Katie may not have been there but she was not the only one anymore that would understand every word. She pulled her cloak from her bed and hurried out the door and into the night.

When she finally knocked on the door she realized that is was the middle of the night and immediately started regretting her decision. She was almost turning away when the sleepy but friendly face of Dannor appeared. He seemed surprised but not annoyed at her interruption.

" _I am sorry."_ She signed quickly _. "It is late and I should have waited until morning. I can go."_

His smile faltered and was replaced with concern. _"Come in, come in."_ He opened the door wide and beckoned her forward.

Once she was inside he took a good look at her face. It was clear she had been crying. _"If there is something I can do for you, you only need ask."_

" _Thank you…I need to talk to Esther, but it can wait. I shouldn't have woken you up."_

He smiled again. _"Wait here."_

He disappeared from the room and Amy took the opportunity to pace. She felt foolish.

A light touch on her shoulder told her she was no longer alone. Esther's eyes were sleepy but she looked remarkably well quaffed for someone that had just been awoken in the middle of the night.

" _You look like you could do with some tea."_

The Rohirrim it seemed had much in common with the English. Amy smiled with relief and nodded. Soon she found herself sat at a wooden table with a warm drink in her hands. It may have not been English breakfast tea but it was good.

" _So, is there something you wanted to talk about?"_

So much. Amy thought. _"I am sorry for the intrusion. I did not know where else to go."_ The tears overwhelmed her then and she cried like she had not cried in a while.

Ester patiently waited running a soothing hand up and down Amy's back.

When she had gained some control she lifted her head and began to sign. She told Ester about Legolas, how he had always been there for her, what he said and what they just did.

" _I think we are going to need something stronger than tea."_ Ester smiled kindly.

It felt good to talk freely and have every sign and nuance understood. They talked until early morning when finally, she could fight exhaustion no longer.

She walked slowly back up the hill just as the sun begun to cut through the gloom. The air was fresh and she breathed it in deeply.

What was I thinking? His kiss was breathtaking. The feel of his skin. Oh god what have I done? I drank too much. He drank too much. The way he looked at me. It was perfect. It was mistake. His eyes. His breath on my neck. The embarrassment. What possessed me? What possessed him?! I asked him what he wanted. I was so lonely. I wanted him. This is ridiculous. I ruined it. I looked awful. I was beautiful in his eyes. What would have happened if I had stayed?

That last question made her stomach flip and when she reached her room she buried her face in her pillow and willed sleep to take her. Sleep did not bring her respite though as her dreams strayed into her deepest desires. His kisses trailed down her stomach, his hands caressed her skin as if they were everywhere at once and when she looked into his eyes she saw a deep emotion that frightened her.

She awoke with a jolt and was shocked if not mortified to see Gandalf sat in the chair in the corner of her room.

" _I am sorry my dear to intrude. I am afraid knocking does not work with a deaf person, and you looked so awfully tired that I was loathed to wake you."_

She pulled the blanket that had twisted round her legs up and around her even though she was still in her t shirt and jeans of last night. She then pulled a hair band that was perpetually around her wrist and secured her hair back from her face in a high ponytail. _"What..."_ She paused unsure of what to say as he stared at her in a curious manner.

" _I have need to talk to you before I leave."_ Gandalf began.

" _Leave?"_

" _Yes, I ride to Gondor, you are aware of where we are in the timeline are you not?"_

Her brain was foggy. _"To be honest Gandalf I do not have a clue on what is happening anymore."_

" _I see Legolas is not keeping you up to date. I cannot see what you two get up to that is so time consuming that he cannot pass on a simple account of events is beyond me, but that is by the by."_ The wizard ploughed on oblivious to the scarlet colour Amy's cheeks had turned with his last few comments. _"Young Pippin has looked into the Palantir, I am heading to Gondor with him."_

Amy nodded, that sounded familiar.

Gandalf seemed pleased and continued. _"But that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a concern about a past event that I wish to share with you. You are under no obligation to tell me what you know, and I certainly do not want you to tell me if we have strayed from the path, I just felt you should know. I wish to talk to you about Saruman, he is dead."_

You did not need to be a wizard to read the reaction of Amy. Her face drained of all scarlet to be replaced with an ashen colour of shock. _"Dead? How?"_

" _He fell from Orthanc, with a little help from Grima's dagger."_ It was the first time she had been here where something was catastrophically different. She had no glimpse of a film reference in her mind to help her with this one. Saruman dead, but that could not be. He had a role to play. _"From your reaction I assume this is unexpected. I did have an uneasy feeling about it."_

" _What do you want me to say?"_

" _Nothing my dear, I just needed to know whether my feeling was misplaced or not. There is nothing we can do now, nothing we can change. We must continue forward."_

" _But Gandalf what if something has changed, something fundamental?!"_

Gandalf let a small smile grace his lips. " _My dear something changed fundamentally when you arrived here and so far you have done no damage to our cause."_

She was not so sure.

" _Maybe I should come with you."_

Gandalf's bushy eyebrows rose. _"And why would you want to do that?"_

" _Just in case you need me."_

He smiled. _"I think perhaps that it is not me that needs you."_ He ignored her shocked look and rose to leave. _"It is time I went."_

When the door shut, she realised she would not see him again for long time now, not until after Pelennor. Now he was gone Legolas now was the only one she could communicate through and the thought filled her with so much dread that she buried her head beneath a pillow and hoped that the bed would swallow her up.

In amongst her frustration, confusion and embarrassment she realised something was missing. It was a feeling that had become her closest companion over the last few years yet now it seemed to have ebbed away completely. She did not feel as lonely anymore.

Over the last few months she had experienced the full spectrum of human emotion that came with forming relationships with people. She grabbed hold of her bag from the side of the bed and pulled out her phone once more. The battery was dead. She had forgotten to turn it off at Helms Deep. It did not matter though, she remembered the message that sat in her inbox. She had promised to open up, stop her shutting everyone out. She had been reckless last night and despite everything it had brought with it, it had felt good, good to go with her instinct instead of analysing every little thought that went through her mind. She stood and straightened out her clothes and took another look in the mirror. She felt a bit braver.

…..

"So what do we do now!?" Grumbled Gimli as finally Gandalf disappeared over the horizon with Pippin in tow upon Shadowfax.

"We wait." Aragorn answered. Merry was by side looking forlornly at when his best friend had just disappeared.

"Wait for what."

"A sign master dwarf." The man's voice gave away the fact that he was worried also, worried that a sign would not come.

"Gandalf will send for us Aragorn, you know he will." Legolas tried to assure him.

"Yes but will Rohan answer the call?" Aragorn was definitely not so sure on this.

"Well they must!" Merry almost shouted the words. "They cannot leave Gondor to fight this war alone. And if they don't go I will steal a horse and go myself, Pippin will need me!"

The bravery of hobbits eased Aragorn's nerves and he smiled lightly. "You will not be riding alone."

Gimli grunted. "Well I don't know about you but it is time to grab a nap, I get cranky if I am disturbed from sleep as I was last night!"

They all stared at the dwarf's retreating back with wry smiles on their faces. "I was under the impression he slept right through it!" Legolas finally said causing Merry to chuckle.

"I would hate to see how cranky he got when he was actually disturbed from sleep." Chimed in Aragorn.

"In all seriousness though Aragorn, what if Gandalf does not send us a sign?" Merry's eyes looked at him hopefully.

"Fear not, we will know when to go." He patted the hobbits shoulder lightly and tried to impart as much reassurance as he could.

"And Pip, he'll be all right won't he."

Aragorn looked to Legolas and they shared a concerned glance. "It would take a lot more than the forces of Mordor to upset our Pippin."

Merry let a sad smile form on his face. "Well, I suppose I had better be getting to breakfast, someone will have to eat Pip's share and with Gimli napping this is the best opportunity to do just that."

"Breakfast does not sound like a bad idea. Will you join us?" Aragorn asked of Legolas.

The elf nodded, knowing full well that if he declined he would just go back to his room to skulk around.

They entered the great hall where many gathered around their bowls of porridge nursing what looked to be very painful hangovers.

"Look there is Amy!" Merry's voice cut through the general noise causing those with particularly sore heads to wince slightly. The hobbit who already had two bowls in his hands weaved his way through the tables and planted himself with a bump opposite her.

Legolas had frozen in place when he heard Merry's cry and stood still as he took the sight of her in. She had her hair tied back and it occurred to him that he had never seen it like that before. Shorter bits of hair that had fallen from the tie were framing her face ending just below her jaw line. The hairstyle left her neck exposed and the memory of kissing the skin there sparked inside of him.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" Aragorn blocked his view and looked at him curiously.

"No I... I am coming."

Aragorn turned to collect his own bowl allowing Legolas to see her once more. She had a glass of water in her hand and no evidence around her to suggest he had eaten. He decided there and then what he would do.

"It was awful, there were like flames in it and Pippin just wriggled around and..."

"I don't think everyone needs to hear about it Merry." Aragorn said firmly trying to stem the tide of Merry's account of the night's events.

"Oh sorry! I was just telling Amy." Merry looked sheepish.

Amy just smiled at Merry pleased to have him back. She enjoyed it when the hobbits told her stories that she could never hope to understand. It was the expressions on their faces, but the expression on Aragorn's face told her whatever the story Merry was trying to tell it was probably not suitable for breakfast time reciting.

A bowl of milky oats appeared in front of her and she followed the arm up to her see who had served her breakfast. She had to bite her tongue as to not gasp when she met Legoals' azure gaze although she was sure that her face was becoming redder by the second.

He sat beside her and placed his own bowl in front of him. He then turned to her so he could sign. " _"It is tradition for the men of Rohan to serve the ladies of the court breakfast."_

At this she smiled remembering the first time he had brought her breakfast and said the very same thing.

" _Thank you."_ She put the first spoonful to her lips and could not help but grimace slightly. The milk was heavily watered down. She glanced to the side to watch him as he did the same trying to cover his disgust. She could not help but let out a laugh.

Legolas was not the only one surprised to hear her laugh and he broke out into a wide grin. He knew what she was laughing at. _"I do not suppose you've got your peanut butter on you?"_

" _I am afraid it is all gone."_ She smiled at his expression, he almost looked as if he would cry. _"I used it all in Helms Deep for the men. I am afraid we will just have to learn to cope without!"_

Aragorn watched the exchanged with no idea of what they were talking about. He could see underlying tension and what looked like embarrassment from the elf. He wondered what it was that Legolas had done that he was so ashamed of. To him it looked that Amy felt he had no reason to be ashamed. He turned his attention back to his breakfast, the way they looked at each other, even when they did not realise they were doing it, made him think of Arwen. He had told Legolas that he was opening his heart up to eternal heartbreak, exactly what Arwen had done. Which is why he knew it was best that she leave, he could feel it in his heart. The link they had told him that she was taking the journey to the Grey Havens where she would sail to Valinor to bear her love her away. He had lost his appetite all of sudden so bid his companions good morning. Perhaps a nap was a good idea, and he could dream of his Elven princess once more.

Merry also left the table off to find perhaps a third bowl, clearly unaffected by the bland taste and wallpaper paste texture of the mixture.

Legolas felt uncomfortable all of a sudden, bringing her breakfast had broken the ice, but now he was at a loss of what to say. He racked his brains for something to say so was shocked when she tapped him on the hand so he could see her signs.

" _I suppose there are things to say aren't there?"_

He was surprised at her question. She was usually the one that wanted to run a mile if he suggested they talk. _"Yes."_

" _Not here."_ She rose and beckoned him to follow.

She led him back to her room so they could have some privacy. Although no one would understand their signs she could not bear to have an audience for this conversation. People would undoubtedly stare as they always did, however, in Rohan she could not tell if people were staring at her because she was deaf of that they were staring at him because he was an elf.

She could feel the tension radiating off of him so took a deep breath when she shut the door behind them to give her some more courage. She had thought long and hard all morning about what she had wanted to say to him.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-nine

" _I wanted to say I am sorry."_ Legolas looked surprised by this as if it was the last thing he was expecting her to do. She ploughed on keeping her nerve. _"I should never have run out on you like that, you deserved more than that. Despite your sage advice that I run, I have come to realise that that should not apply to social situations."_

She took another deep breath as she tried to get it all out. Getting something off her chest was a thing she did not do often and all of a sudden she felt awfully exposed.

" _We are friends aren't we, that is what you said, and the truth is I am not very good with friends."_ She thought back to her mobile phone inbox. _"I don't have any real friends, I've pushed people away and I shut myself off. You were right when you said I had become cold and unfeeling."_

Legolas shook his head and interrupted. _"That is not true. Maybe on the outside you might feel that way but on the inside, you feel keenly. I know it, it is written on your face when you think no one is looking."_

" _I am not the only one hiding something though am I?"_

Legolas stiffened slightly, tension creeping into his shoulders. Her words of the night before came to him when she had asked him what he had wanted.

She continued. _"You do not have to share whatever it is with me. I won't push you."_

" _Like I have pushed you."_ He added.

It was a good point he made but she did not want this to all be about scolding him for his past indiscretions and words. _"I am not very good at this."_ She said finally while shaking her head. _"Gandalf came to see me this morning and I asked him if he needed me to come with him."_ Legolas was watching her signs carefully. _"It was the first time I had really thought about need. What I need."_

She paused once more and took a deep steadying breath.

" _I need you Legolas, you are all I have here, but you are more than that, you are the best friend I've ever had."_ She watched his reaction to this and was pleased when a small smile graced his lips. He seemed to relax somewhat now so she steeled her nerves and continued with what she knew would be the most awkward bit. _"About last night I..."_

" _Amy, you don't have to..."_ Legolas interrupted her but she cut him off in turn.

" _Please let me finish, if I don't say it now I probably never will. I don't know what came over me last night, I am sorry, my mind was all over the place and I needed a friend, to feel close to someone after years of loneliness and I guess I took it too far."_ As she signed now Legolas felt his heart burning as she chipped away at it. She regretted what had happened between them. _"We are friends and I crossed a line, it was a mistake and I don't want to ruin our friendship so please accept my apology and we can forget it ever happened."_ It was what she had decided that morning, she would salvage their friendship no matter the price.

She had not maintained eye contact with him during her little speech too mortified to do so, so when she finally met his gaze she was shocked at the expression on his face. He looked destroyed. She wanted to continue but she could no longer form the words with her hands. Legolas was always so quick to hide any emotion so to see him standing there his skin ashen, and his eyes filled with sorrow was disarming. She could not draw her gaze away though and the two of them stared at each other in a moment that was laced with tension. She thought he would be appeased by her words but clearly that was not the case, her well thought out plan was not working.

Finally Legolas chose to sign and Amy watched as the sorrow disappeared only to be replaced with annoyance. _"You are forgetting something?"_

" _What do you mean?"_ If she had spoken these words she would have stammered as she willed her heart to stopped beating so hard against her chest.

" _I kissed you, not the other way round."_

She had not forgotten that but she had chosen to ignore it, because that little detail made everything different. That little detail that had repeatedly pushed itself to the front of her thoughts, that little detail that had frightened her in way she had not felt before. _"Legolas I..."_ She stopped when he began to approach her; he closed the gap between them so they were stood directly in front of one another. She felt her breath catch in her throat. She had sworn she would remain calm, if she let him he would wipe out all her carefully prepared words, words designed to protect her pride, words that had made her feel brave pursuing a friendship.

" _I wanted to come after you, to apologise for taking advantage, because it was me that kissed you."_ His signed were calmer than he felt inside. He knew he could not go along with her request and pretend to forget about it. He knew that with all the best intentions eventually he would have to reveal his heart lest it broke from being ignored. Aragorn's words had stuck in head. He was going to walk the path he had chosen no matter the consequences. _"I couldn't though because all I really wanted to do was kiss you again. I won't accept your apology, and I refuse to forget about it."_ At first she read his body language as anger as anyone would but there were little nuances there that told her it was not anger that tightened his jaw and made his eyes flash but passion. _"Ask me again."_ Legolas said finally.

Amy felt her body betray her as she unconsciously lent forward feeling the heat of his body. There was no room between them to sign anymore.

"What did you ask me?" Legolas spoke now and she watched his lips carefully.

She had not forgotten, she knew what she had asked him. "What do you want?" Her lips moved but no sound came out.

He took a step back now to sign to her. " _I want you."_

He paused and for a moment Amy thought he wanted her to respond but her mind of all moments had chosen this one to desert her and go blank. She almost let out an audible sigh when he finally continued.

" _It was no mistake on my part and I do not regret one single moment of it. I won't apologise either because it would be a lie. Now will you still choose to ignore what happened? Will you still refuse to acknowledge that I want you?!"_

Neither of them moved an inch.

After what seemed like a lifetime Amy let out the breath she had been holding. She had acknowledged it. As she lay in her bed last night she had acknowledged it and argued against it, told herself that she was foolish to believe he would want her. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and he was her friend, it was beyond the stuff of dreams that he would find her desirable. She had tried to deny that it had happened but it was as he had said it, he kissed her, and now as clear as day he stood before her validating all that she had denied.

As time passed and his eyes bore into her she found the clarity of mind she had so desperately sought for since she had arrived in Middle Earth. She closed the gap between them, only stopping when her toes bumped his. Her hands rested nervously on his chest and she felt her throat gulp involuntary. Maybe this was a huge mistake, but her mother had always said that it was mistakes that made a person. It was about time she took her mother's advice. She went up onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. She kissed him.

There was a brief hesitation from Legolas as shock rendered him still but it was not long before his body responded and he gathered her to him deepening the kiss immediately. Her hands fastened round his neck and ran through his hair. She then worked the braids out of it so that it fell freely around his face, her fingers eager to feel every part of him.

Legolas had not had time up to this point to gather his thoughts as her hands worked their way to the hemline of his tunic and began to pull it up. It was almost as if it hit him like a jolt of lightening. He grabbed her hands and pulled away finally breaking the heated kiss. He could not do this, not when there was so much left unsaid. He had berated himself for his actions of last night and would not fall foul again. He looked at her imploringly, hoping that she would understand from the look on his face, as he daren't let her hands go to sign lest she disappeared again. Again they stood frozen in the moment only this time it was Legolas that paused. Now it was time for him to consider his own past that snapped at his heels. He was due to marry. Amy knew none of this. He was a liar, he was betraying her, his friends, his father. He could not bear it any longer, he ached to touch her and yet this time it was only him standing in his way. His fingers loosened their gripped slightly only to make their way up her arms slowly. He could feel her body begin to tremble under his touch and heard as her breath shuddered.

He would not go any further not without one more question. He pushed his own impending mess of a life to the side and focused purely on her and his selfish heart. She had spoken of her need so he would ask her. _"Is this what you want?"_ He signed the words quickly then continued to trail is fingers up her neck and finally he traced her bottom lip with his left thumb.

Her breath came quickly now and the world seem to pause awaiting her answer.

" _It is what I need."_ Her hands move slowly and deliberately between them.

All thought of consequences left his mind and he replaced his thumb with his lips.

Amy had surrendered to sensation and nothing could break through the feel of his demanding tongue that stroked and teased at her own. She reached once more for the hem of his tunic now desperate to feel his skin. He once more broke their kiss but reluctantly this time as he helped her pull it over his head, instinct now guiding them both. This time it was her turn to study him. His skin almost glowed in the dimly lit room and it was almost as if it compelled her to touch it. Her fingers trailed down his chest which rose and fell with every steady breath. She dipped her fingers between the lines of his abdominals then down to the line where his hips disappeared into his breeches.

Legolas desperately tried to keep himself under control, consumed with the feeling that now he had given into temptation she would disappear if he let himself get carried away. But the fire was burning brightly now and it took every ounce of will power for him not reach out and take hold of her once more.

It was almost as if she heard his thoughts and her eyes met his mirroring them with passion. She did not want him to hesitate, if he hesitated she would have time to think, and if she did that she may talk herself out of this. Something that her body was desperate that she did not do. She took her hands away briefly and signed. _"Don't hold back."_

Control snapped. He grabbed the bottom of her tshirt, just as she had done to his and pulled it up over her head before claiming her mouth with his own. The ferocity of his passion for her gave away the depths of his feeling but Amy was too lost in sensation to linger on this.

His hands moved to her hair and gently but quickly he pulled out her hair band. His hands then moved down her neck and back as he tried to cover every inch of her skin with his hands.

He felt her hands on his chest and they pushed him back breaking the kiss. He felt panic rise but then saw her intention: she was backing him towards the bed. He felt the edge of the bed hit the back of his knees and let gravity pull him down. She remained standing so she could look at him.

He was lying down, but his torso was raised as he held himself up on his forearms. She tried to take it all in but it was too much and after a few seconds she yearned for his touch again. She climbed onto the bed and straddled his hips.

He knew he had not seen anything as beautiful as the sight before him now, or desirable. He would never had described her as shy but she had always been uncomfortable around people but here, when it was just the two of them there was none of that.

He sat up now so they were face to face where he immediately claimed her mouth again with his own. She let out soft little moans that were like music to his ears. His hand wondered down her back then one slipped between them to cup one of her breasts. They were enclosed in her bra and briefly he wondered just how you took the bloody thing off. He had never seen one before let alone removed one so as his other hand tried to navigate the clasp at the back Amy could not help but snigger into his mouth. It seemed no matter where you went the male of the species could still not remove a bra.

She broke the kiss and an amused smile graced her lips. He could not help but smile back. Was this really happening? He watched as she stretched one arm behind her and in one quick movement undid the clasp. Now that the barrier of a bra was gone he relished in the feel of her breasts cupped in his hands and delighted in the feel of her arching against him when he ran a gentle thumb over her nipple.

In the back of his mind though he knew there was one more barrier he needed to broach so he took the risk. He took his hands away from her breasts and ran them soothingly down her back, he then began by kissing her neck following the natural line of it down to hollow at her throat. He paused as he felt her tense, she knew what he was doing.

He touched his fingers lightly to her chest but his eyes never left hers now. He could see that she felt ashamed and her breath caught in her throat, but this time she was not running away. He traced his fingers down her chest taking care not to touch the wound directly. The black stitches Aragorn had sewn into her stood out against her skin but it was only the stitches that marred her and they would be gone eventually. He took his hands away for a moment and in sign told her she was beautiful. Her head tipped down almost embarrassed by his regard so he placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him again. He knew that there was nothing he could say that would make her believe him but he vowed then that every action and step he took would never contradict how he viewed her.

Amy had seen appreciative glances before in the eyes of boyfriends, but nothing like the deep awe that Legolas held in his eyes now. It made her breath catch and her heart hammer against her chest. It was almost unbearable to keep eye contact as his eyes burned with intensity. She looked away only to have him tip her head back up so their eyes met once more.

He took his time caressing the skin down her side and stopped to pay attention to the tattoo that marked her ribs. His fingers stroked the delicate drawing of a caged bird and could not help but think of Amy trapped in her silence.

Up until now it had been Amy's body that had taken the lead but now as Legolas' actions became more tender a heady mix of emotions came to the surface. He had been the first person she had let in for a long time, he cared about her, so much that he would push her even when she was uncomfortable, push her past where everyone else had given up. She felt embarrassed that she had fallen into his arms so easily and hated herself for being that predictable. A lost girl and a handsome prince. But then she had put aside all her doubts, all her confusion, and all the little voices that told her this was a mistake and she had asked herself what she wanted. And for the first time she listened to what she wanted. She had wanted to sate that basic need, a need to be touched, to be held and to be devoured.

He had kissed her, and this time there was no way she was going to stop him.

She crushed her lips to his once more and in a move that was quick and smooth from years of practice he flipped her onto her back and ground his hips into hers. He then began to trail hot kisses down her neck and body and she could do nothing but clutch desperately at his hair and the blankets around them in a need for some control.

When his teeth began to gently bite and tease she let out another soft moan that to Legolas was the most beautiful sound he had heard.

The sensations that coursed through her were almost overwhelming, she absently tried to decipher whether it was his incredible skill or it had been an awfully long time since she had been touched in this way. Eventually she gave up with wilful abandon.

She felt him fumble with the button on her jeans growling slightly when he was successful and lifted her hips to help him as he pulled them down. She felt relief flood her as she remembered that that morning she had put on the underwear that she had arrived in. It had been cleaned and she had chosen it as a little bit of comfort, something from home. She did not know if she could have controlled her embarrassment if she had been in those awful pants that Eowyn has given her.

She would never know that Legolas let out an almost primal groan when his eyes took in the sight of her. Her hips disappeared into a small black garment that he had never seen before. He could not help but dip his head and trail kisses along the line it made on her body, across hips and stomach, and along her thighs.

She gasped as she felt his hot breath over her and she decided it was time to take back some control. She ran a foot up the back of his leg in a move that beckoned him up. He moved over her so that his face was above hers. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her face was flush from his attention to her body.

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and forearms so that their noses touched gently and she dipped her tongue gently into his mouth. She then raised one hand slowly making sure she kept her balance as she slowly ran a finger up his jaw line to his ear before tracing the line up to the delicate tip. He shuddered as pure sensation coursed through him and she took the opportunity to wrap her legs around his waist. He was lost in pleasure so it did not take much pressure from her to push him over and reverse their positions.

Legolas did not have time to be shocked as she took hold of his lips once more with hers and trailed hot hands down his torso. His own hands took hold of her hips and gripped tightly. Eventually her hands reached the ties of his breeches and she did not hesitate in undoing them.

It was almost a battle now as their bodies strained against one another, fingers clawing at bare skin, teeth grazing swollen lips, a desperation for each other that neither of them had expected.

Legolas kicked his boots off and with a free hand helped Amy pull off his breeches as both of them refused to break the kiss that was raging on. The room was full of heavy breaths and wanton moans as long limbs wrapped around one another and hands clutched urgently at bare skin. Amy finally broke the kiss as she gave into the temptation to look down.

A breath caught in her throat and she regarded him with lust laden eyes but he did not give her long before his hands caught hold of her rear and flipped her over so he was nestled between her legs, his obvious pleasure resting hard against her.

It was as if time froze now as his ardent gaze settled on her and neither of them moved except for the heaving of their chests as they both struggled to catch their breath. It was as if they realised that if they took this next step nothing would be the same between them again.

It was almost imperceptible but Amy nodded. She did not make a conscious decision to nod but nevertheless she did and that was it.

Legolas' hands make quick work of the final piece of clothing that stood between them. The underwear lay torn and forgotten on the floor as he moved his hips to enter her.

Something in his eyes compelled her to keep hers open as he filled her. It took a few moments for her to adjust to his size and when she was ready she pushed against him taking every inch of him in. He held one of her hands tightly as the other gripped tightly on his shoulder as they began to move against one another. He watched her face closely, her eyes fluttered, her cheeks were flushed and her moans deepened with each stroke.

The mood had changed, the passion was still there but it was no longer desperate and Amy felt a small splinter of fear bubble up in her. Every touch of his hand, every look on his face had another meaning and she felt her heart almost reach out in yearning. Legolas dipped his head and placed soft breathless kisses on her neck and again thought lost out to sensation and she arched her back into him.

He filled her entirely and along with his clever hands and artful kisses he brought her body to the brink, his own straining against fulfilment. Eventually neither of them could hold on any longer. Their release came in a tidal wave of ecstasy and Amy had to bite down on his shoulder lest she let out a sound that perhaps even she would hear. Legolas did not stifle his release and could not help but call out her name as his body shuddered then collapsed upon her. She of course did not hear it nor did she see her name on his lips as she was lost in her own release.

Legolas took hold of her when he had regained some semblance of composure and rolled onto his back pulling her with him so that she was tucked in his embrace her head resting on his chest, which rose and fell with unsteady breaths.

As the fog of lust lifted from both of them were faced with the reality of what they had done. The line they had crossed. Their relationship would be changed forever, but how would it change and would the change suit both of them?


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: I just wanted to say again, thank you for all the reviews. They really do help me keep writing! A few of you have asked questions, but I am not going to answer them here as the answers should become clear through the story. I hope you are enjoying what I am doing and please do leave any comments in the reviews as I read them all!

Chapter Thirty

Legolas held her against him, her face buried in his neck. He did not want to let go, afraid that the moment would be lost forever and she would withdraw from him. He knew he should be critical of his actions, to berate himself for stepping over a line that could never be restored but he just could not bring himself to do it. He had dreamed of a having a moment like this with her and knew that if he had to make the decision again he would not have changed a thing. He just prayed that she would feel the same way, and that if she did not his heart would be able to stand it. He knew though, even as the intensity of the feelings that had rushed through him subsided, that his heart was no longer his own.

She breathed in deeply delighting in the scent of him. One of his hands continued to trail light fingers up and down her back and she struggled to remember a time when she had been as content as she was now. It surprised her in how comfortable she was. She had imagined this moment and was convinced that it would be awkward and unfulfilling, yet she felt anything but. There was a little fear though, in this moment they needed no words, but what about later, what about when the moment was gone. Surely then words would be needed.

Her body felt renewed, the weary muscles from days on ends of toil felt fresh and light. Her heart hammered against her chest seemingly strengthened. She had once read a book about how sex was an essential part of the human body's needs and requirements. She had not bought the book, it was Katie's and for wont of anything better to read on a particularly rainy camping trip to Devon she had leafed through its pages. She had thought it was mostly rubbish but now she was not so sure, she had not felt this good in ages.

Her eyes trailed down his body and she could not believe her luck, he was certainly the perfect way to end the drought that has been her sex life over the last four years. She had never felt particularly self-conscious about her body, all the running had seen to that but lying next to him she could not help but wish she had had the foresight to bring some waxing strips with her, and perhaps some moisturiser.

He felt her tense slightly in his arms so pulled back and settled himself on his side so that they were looking at each other. _"Is something wrong?"_ He signed awkwardly. He held his breath hoping she would not regret what they had done and run out of the room. He was surprised when she smiled nervously.

" _No I am fine, I was just..."_ She stopped. _"It doesn't matter."_

" _What is it?"_ He was concerned; even though she was smiling he could not help but fear the consequences of their actions.

" _You...look...you're perfect and I'm..."_ She paused wishing that the bed sheet was in nearer reach so she could hide under it. She did not need to continue as he knew what she was about to say. His thoughts reflected her earlier ones; he was not ready for words, so he reached out and pulled her towards him. His hands began to run up and down the length of her body sending flutters of pleasure through her again. She knew what he was doing, in his eyes she was beautiful and she had not the breath to argue as he caught her in a deep kiss.

She did not think that she would fall back into his arms so easily and certainly not so quickly and yet she felt the prickles of desire once again as if they had never been sated.

The afternoon disappeared in tangled sheets and heady groans, and tea time was given little thought as they discovered every inch of the other's bodies.

When sleep finally claimed Amy Legolas untangled himself from her arms and the bed sheets and stood stretching out his legs which had grown heavy from a day spent horizontal. He pulled on his discarded breeches and sat on a wooden chair in the corner of the room. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair before leaning back.

He watched her sleep through the night going over the last few hours in his head. He had never felt so out of control of his body before, he was aching for her even now, and no matter how much he lost himself in her the need was never truly sated. He had his own theories for why this was but chose not to dwell on them. He did not want to pour over details of what could happen when morning broke taking the spell of today with it. At the moment he could not help but feel joy, relishing in the memory of her touch.

Earlier when he had risen with an offer to get her some food, it had been her that had pulled him back to the bed, showing that she was just in control of this situation as he was. He did not want to get his hopes up but it was almost impossible. He stayed where he was throughout the night watching over her until dawn broke. He got fully dressed knowing that if he didn't the temptation to crawl back into her bed and lose another day would be too much.

As the sun crept over the horizon Rohan began to wake and Legolas' silently slipped out of the room in search of breakfast to bring to her. He knew she had eaten barely anything the day before and was slightly concerned about her. He could see that her body had still yet to regain the weight it had lost on their run across the plains, and her skin was still pale. She was unlikely to wake soon but he hurried as he went, not wanting her to wake before he returned.

"Have you seen Legolas?"

Gimli eyed Aragorn crossly, did the man not realise that interrupting a dwarf during breakfast was incredibly rude. "You've not eaten yet and you've already lost the elf!"

"I am sure he is not lost, I just saw little of him yesterday. In fact after breakfast I saw nothing of him." Aragorn looked round the hall hoping that perhaps he would see the elf taking breakfast at another table.

Merry joined them putting his bowl down hastily and tucking in as if in a rush. "You should get some food Aragorn, I overheard the cooks in the kitchen this morning saying they were running low on provisions and if the King did not decide in a course of action soon they would struggle to feed everyone."

Aragorn would think heavily on this but first he asked, "And what were you doing in the kitchens this morning master hobbit?"

Merry had the decency to go red. "I was...well...just seeing if there was anything I could help with. We are going to be here for days until Gandalf sends word, we need to keep busy."

Aragorn looked at him sceptically. "I don't suppose you saw Legolas on your morning's walkabout?"

"Legolas? No, haven't seen him since yesterday morning. I'd ask Amy." Merry answered between mouthfuls.

Aragorn had already thought of asking Amy but he had in all honesty chickened out of it. For one he did not thinking his signing was up to it and did not want to have to resort to writing everything down again. He felt utterly ashamed that he had picked up hardly anything after all the time they had spent together. Legolas had tried in vain to teach him the basics but it just had not stuck. He did not know how Legolas had retained it all but he supposed it was through practice. Aragorn had definitely not practiced but his excuse was that he had more important things on his mind. And it was true, what could be more important that the fight for the world you lived in, but something inside of him niggled guiltily. He did not want to be that person that forgot about the individual, what kind of a leader did that make him? He had also avoided finding her because he was worried she was the reason Legolas had gone awol. He had given Legolas some advice, to follow his heart, and now he was worried that Legolas had indeed taken that advice, and had his heart shattered in the process.

He toyed with his own breakfast idly as his mind thought over other matters so he almost did not notice when the very elf he was searching for entered the halls quickly snatched some food up and went to leave again. Legolas was almost half way down the corridor before Aragorn registered the elf and started after him.

"Legolas!" The man called after him, surprised when the elf had not turned at the sound of his hurried footsteps. It looked as if the elf was in a hurry somewhere.

Legolas had heard the footsteps but did not pay attention to them, his mind fixed on her returning to Amy. He did stop however when he heard Aragorn calling his name. He made sure his face betrayed none of the confusion he felt inside before turning to his friend. It occurred to him then that he had not given an ounce of thought of what he would say to his friend about the events that had took place.

"There you are!" Aragorn announced almost jovially. "I have been looking for you everywhere, what happened to you yesterday?"

"I had some things to attend to."

Aragorn rose a sceptical eyebrow. "Things to attend to?"

"I had some thinking to do."

"Have you come to any conclusions."

Conclusion was not how Legolas would have described what had occurred but it seemed enough for now. "You could say that. Aragorn, did you need something, I need to be getting on?"

Aragorn could see he was not wanted and hoped that wherever the elf was rushing off to it was in joy and not in panic.

It was inevitable really, Legolas thought. With the way his luck had been panning out recently he should have known she would be gone by the time he got back. He placed the food he had brought down on the bed and resisted the urge to kick the bed post in frustration. He considered waiting, it was her room so she had to return at some point, but he did not think he could bear it. He slammed the door behind him and went in search of her, he would not leave her with her own thoughts as he doubted they reflected his.

The light streamed in through the small window and slowly crept up the bed and finally when it landed on the pillow Amy's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the brightness. She languidly stretched out her limbs and found that she felt more refreshed and energised than she had in weeks. It took a few moments before she remembered exactly why she felt so good this morning. Her stomach fluttered as memories surfaced of intertwined limbs came to the surface and her breath caught in her throat and a delicious warmth spread through her. She instinctively stretched out a hand to her side expecting to find flawless skin stretched over hardened muscles under her touch. All she felt was cold bedding.

Her eyes now shot open and the warmth she had felt in her turned cold. She glanced round the room hoping that he would be sat in the corner chair or peering out of the window but nothing. Legolas was gone. She looked around for some evidence that he had even been there but nothing, no note, no token, nothing.

At first she began to doubt her own memories, wanting to believe that she had made the last 48 hours up rather than think he had left her like this. However, she could only go down that route for a few moments before she felt anger bubble up inside of her.

She threw off the covers from the bed and pulled on her clothes. She could smell his scent on her tshirt as she pulled it over her head, so with a frustrated growl, she pulled it off, almost tearing it in the process, and found a tunic instead from amongst her belongings.

She did not know where she was going but frankly she did not care. She was out of the halls of Edoras in no time and found herself storming down the hill passed the staring eyes of the people of Edoras. She knew they were surprised to see her, not only because she looked so different but because she looked encumbered by rage.

And it was indeed rage she felt. She was not upset or really embarrassed but filled with an anger equally directed at herself as it was to Legolas.

How could she have been so stupid? Apparently her body had overridden her rationality. She continued to walk at pace, stumbling occasionally until finally she reached the gate of Edoras. The gates were open as tradesmen made their way in and she pushed through them almost feeling claustrophobic at their closeness. She did not hear their catcalls as they ran their eyes appreciatively over her form that was strange to them but no less appealing.

Her momentum sent her flying past all of them and down the well-trodden path that led out of Edoras, lined as it was with the tombs of Rohan's royalty. As if blinded by the rage she felt it was not until she stepped onto open plain that she halted abruptly.

Amy may have been foolish but she was not stupid. She had no intention of storming off into the wilds of Middle Earth and condemning herself at best to starvation and at worst to a brutal death at the hands of some evil being. She instinctively took a step back.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Thank you once again for the comments you have left. It has been really interesting to hear your reactions to some of Amy's actions. I would certainly agree that she is quick to react and let's face it, she is pretty much a ticking emotional time bomb. Would love to hear more of your thoughts on both of them.

Chapter Thirty One

She instinctively took a step back and felt him there instantly. She held her breath as she turned around almost in a bid to stop any angry words from escaping her mouth.

" _I went to get you breakfast."_

It was such a simple sentence and yet it soothed every rough nerve and all injured feelings. In fact it left Amy feeling foolish and she could not help it when a relived laugh broke out. Legolas felt his own relief flood through him and laughed also. Anyone watching would have perhaps thought them mad as an elf and woman from Earth stood on the plains of Rohan laughing with abandon as if the world was not at war.

" _I'm sorry...I thought you had..."_ She did not finish, it did not matter anymore. _"Legolas. What are we doing?"_ She had to ask. There was such a human need to put some kind of label on it.

Legolas did not have the faintest idea of how to answer that question. His hand instinctively went to hers and he laced his finger between hers.

"Come. _"_ He spoke and was delighted when she nodded in response.

He led her back up the slopes of Edoras and through the Golden Hall back to her room. The breakfast lay on her bed. He smiled and gestured for her to eat.

In all truth she was starving and so needed no extra prompting. She sat cross legged on the bed and began to devour the fruit that sat on the tray. She had expected to feel awkward the morning after their day spent locked away from the world but instead she felt content and at ease.

Legolas sat beside her and playfully stole bits of fruit from beneath her fingers. The relief that had flooded through him when she had easily followed him was intoxicating. It swam through his blood pushing aside all fears and forcing him to forget about the words that needed to be said. He watched her eat and found the sight of her licking her fingertips reminded him of some of their previous activities. Legolas was not one to blush but he did feel his blood rise in his body and his heart hammer heavily against his chest.

Steadying his breathing he decided he best distract himself. _"Were you planning on leaving then?"_ He asked with a raised eyebrow showing that he was teasing.

Amy playfully scowled back. _"No, you do not get rid of me that easily!" She smiled. "Besides even if I wanted to leave I would say I am rather stuck here."_

Legolas frowned and he remembered her words from their argument. _"You are not my prisoner."_

" _That may be so, but where would I go, how would I get there? I don't have a lot of agency here."_

Legolas was not sure of what she had said. Even if he had understood the sign of the final bit of her sentence he would not have truly understood what she meant. To have the capacity to do what one wishes to do, to have complete agency over one's self was something that had always been a struggle for Amy living with a disability. For someone who wanted to be alone she was heavily reliant on others to get things done. Before Oyster cards even getting a damn bus had been a struggle when the bus drivers could not understand where you wanted to go and looked at you like you had crept out of some hole. Sorting out the abysmal internet connection in her flat had been a nightmare with emails unanswered and the internet company insisting that she needed to phone them. When she had friends or strangers offer help it was appreciated, but always left her feeling a little childish. With new technology things had become easier, she had become more independent in her life but here, in Middle Earth she felt back to square one. She was isolated, more than she had ever been before, more than she had ever brought on herself, and she was trapped.

" _If you wanted to go somewhere, I would take you, I would help."_ Legolas had some understanding of feeling trapped.

Amy let out a little sigh. It was heartening to know that he was there for her, and a little overwhelming that he would pick up and leave on her word, but he had hit the nail on the head. She could not go anywhere unless someone was with her. She did not like the feeling of melancholy sweeping over her, especially when a beautiful elf was sat on her bed with so much to say between them. She smiled brightly. _"And what if I wanted to get away from you?!"_ Her face betraying that she was joking.

Legolas place a hand over his heart in mock hurt and she laughed. She had not seen playful Legolas since Lothlorien and she had missed him. _"I do not think I would be amiable to you running off without me. I have become quite fond of you."_

" _Is that so."_ She signed with a smile _"I thought I was just a distraction."_ She was teasing him now.

Legolas smiled back his eyes shining. _"A beautiful distraction."_

She was just about to take a bite out of a strawberry from the tray when his words and regard threw her off. He took the opportunity to push the tray to the side and move closer.

His raised a hand and swiftly pinched the berry from her fingers, laughing when she glowered at him. He brought the fruit to his lips and look a bite. It was extremely ripe and the vibrant juice was starkly red against his pale skin as it dripped from his mouth onto his chin.

She could not help but reach out and wipe the juice away before bringing her fingers to her lips and licking away the sweetness.

Legolas felt it then, the desire burning deep in his stomach. He held the berry up to her lips and watched intently as the redness stained them.

He wanted to kiss her again.

He dropped the hull of the fruit on the tray then returned his fingers to her lips. His breath caught in his throat and fire of passion stirred even hotter as she slowly but surely licked all remnants of the berry's sticky sweetness from them.

His other hand begun to snake its way up under her tunic grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him.

Her lips crashed against his and her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. There was an urgency and almost a desperation to his movements and both of them wrestled with her leggings dragging them off in a hurried coordination. Amy had only just managed to loosen the strings on his breeches when she felt him enter her. Her back arched in reaction crushing her hips further into his and taking him all in.

She gripped his hair, pulling his head back none to gently and buried her face in his neck.

Her breath was hot and heavy against his skin as he pushed into her. There was a natural rhythm to their movements and they were perfectly in sync with one another. All awkwardness, confused movements, heavy hands and unspoken words were forgotten as they held onto each other for dear life.

When she came she bit down on his shoulder lest she scream out and this tipped him over the edge.

She did not know how long she clung onto him but it was a long while before Legolas beckoned her to lift her head.

She was flushed and a sheen of sweat clung to her neck. He ran a gentle hand up her back and then pushed her hair from her face tucking it behind her ears.

Amy studied his face as he was distracted in his movements. There was a strange look on his face but she could not quite decipher what it was. His cheeks were also flushed and his eyes were a darker blue than she had ever seen before.

When their eyes met Legolas could not help but smile. It was a smile so bright that Amy thought she would never see anything that beautiful ever again.

Legolas reluctantly removed his hands from her to sign. _"I interrupted your breakfast."_

She let out a small laugh _. "I think I am well satisfied."_

They spent the morning together in easy company. Laughing and sharing some tales of inconsequential things from their pasts.

" _So you can just twist the lever and hot water comes pouring out from above?"_

Amy chuckled. _"Pretty much."_ Of all the things she had told him about he seemed to be fixated on the idea of a shower.

" _Like a waterfall that is warm?"_

" _And that can be turned on and off."_

" _But it is in your home?"_

They should have perhaps discussed important things but neither wanted to. They wanted to forget the world outside of that room.

…..

Aragorn had called for a council in the King's war room to gather information and decide on a course of action. He knew Gandalf had told him to wait but he did not know how much longer he could bare it, the waiting, the sitting around.

It was a slow meeting, with no one wishing to show to their hand and commit to anything. Aragorn grew increasingly frustrated when the scouts he had sent out brought back nothing of use further persuading Theoden to not do anything rash.

"My lord, we cannot just sit here and do nothing while the enemy are amassing against Gondor. We will need the white city by our side if we are to achieve victory."

Theoden said nothing and continued to pace slowly round the table. He was tired. More tired than he had ever been. He knew what Aragorn wanted from him but he did not know if he could deliver, if Rohan and his people could withstand war any longer.

Amy watched the King as he stalked around lost in his own thoughts. She knew he would ride to Gondor's aid, he just needed a sign, and that sign would come. She wondered however, looking at Aragorn, how long they would have to wait and whether Aragorn would jump the gun in his frustration. She felt pretty useless at the moment, she had been invited along by Aragorn much to the dismay and confusion of some of the other men present and their distrusting stares did little to put her at ease. She had taken to jotting memories of the book down on a piece of paper as a way of getting them out of her head. Although not their guide she wanted to help in whatever way she could, but that would mean figuring out exactly what was supposed to be happening.

"I know you want a quick answer Lord Aragorn but I will not be rushed on this." Theoden spoke measuredly. "I take advice from all of you gladly but in the end it is I who must make a decision and bear the consequences. I will leave you to your discussions while I take some time to think on all you have said." The King took his leave.

"I cannot wait here any longer." Aragorn now rose and begun to pace as the King had done.

"And yet you cannot ride to Gondor's aid without Rohan by your side." Eomer remarked pointedly. "You will not rush my Uncle. You are more likely to make him stay put than aid the White City if you continue to press."

"There will not be a White City if he remains indecisive."

There was a ripple of tension through the room as the Rohirrim bristled with annoyance at Aragorn's barbed comment.

"Perhaps you should ask your oracle what we should all do?" Aragorn did not know who the snide question had come from but looking back at Amy he could see that she was oblivious to the attention that was now on her as she remained scribbling on that piece of paper.

Legolas had remained agitated throughout the meeting but now he was on edge poised to deal with any escalating situation.

A few of the Rohirram stepped forward as if goaded on by the words of their companion and it was then that Amy looked up and realised everyone was staring at her.

'Shit.' Was the first word to cross her mind. The looks of their faces told her that she was under scrutiny rather than being the centre of attention for something good. She could feel the tension radiating off the elf who sat beside her.

There was sudden movement in the room as some of the men continued forward and Legolas rose in an instant sending his chair flying back across the floor. Eomer had also leapt into action holding back some of his men and calling for calm.

Amy wondered why Aragorn had not made any move as she also stood and took a step back. Before she knew it a sandy haired man stretched forward over the table and snatched the piece of paper that she had left behind. It was then that she knew why the attention had fallen upon her.

She was not sure what came over her but she suddenly lunged forward jumping onto the table and scrabbling desperately to get the paper back. It would be her carelessness that was at fault if they read something they shouldn't. There was what amounted to a scuffle as she shoved her way towards him whilst Eomer tried to restore order and Legolas pushed his way through the mass of bodies to get to her. Finally, Eomer's voice rung through the shouts with a fearsome call halting all movement from his men. Amy snatched the piece of paper back and shoved it into her pocket.

"Leave us." Eomer looked on at some of his men in disgust and his voice and face brokered no room for argument.

The sandy coloured hair man looked at Amy resentfully but passed without comment.

" _I am sorry."_ Eomer signed the words to Amy much to everyone's surprise. "Aragorn, if you wish to discuss this further perhaps we can do it privately in my quarters." He finished and left the room.

"Well that went well." Gimli remarked glumly. His glib comment was supposed to lighten the atmosphere but instead it did nothing but hang in the air. Legolas had placed a reassuring hand on Amy's shoulder as she looked nervously at the three of them. She was still not entirely sure what had happened to lead to the situation.

It was Aragorn who spoke first, although his words were not what they had expected. "Give me that paper."

Amy was not sure what he had said so looked to Legolas. The elf looked as confused as she did.

"What?" Legolas asked although he had heard clearly what the man had said.

"I want that piece of paper."

"Aragorn! You cannot…"

"I am not asking you! I am asking her." His voice was cold as he cut Legolas off.

Gimli rose from his chair where he had remained unmoving for the whole of the meeting and ruckus that followed. "Now laddie, let's not do anything rash."

" _What is it?"_ Amy asked Legolas.

" _He wants the paper."_ As soon as he had signed it Amy's head turned towards Aragorn with alarm.

"Give me the paper." The man repeated it slowly so there was no room for misunderstanding.

Her hand instinctively went to her pocket and she nervously toyed with the frayed edges of the parchment. She reluctantly let it go again to sign.

"No I won't." Legolas spoke her words aloud. "You are not supposed to see what is written on there and I am sorry for carelessly parading it in front of you. It will make little sense anyway."

Legolas also repeated Aragorn's words to her in sign although it took all his control not to speak out and tell his friend to back off.

"I have had enough of this waiting. Whatever is on that paper will help me decide my course. Or would you have me make the wrong decision!"

"I am not your guide Aragorn. You know this. Do not ask this of me." Again Legolas spoke her signs.

"Then what is the point of you then! Why are you here other than to cause endless distractions!" Aragorn looked pointedly at Legolas in that moment.

Legolas did not repeat this to Amy and instead returned a frosty look to his friend and took his position directly in front of her.

Amy took her chance in silence to back away towards the fire.

"Would you see Gondor destroyed rather than take the chance to save it!?"

"Aragorn!" Legolas' voice tried to pierce through the heady atmosphere. "I suggest you take some time to yourself before you say or do something you regret."

The man took no notice. "Give me that paper."

She signed knowing that he would not understand, knowing that he would have to wait for Legolas to translate. _"If you want it, you will have to take it from me."_

She knew what bravery she had inside of her now. She knew that she was stronger than she ever thought possible. She was not afraid of him. On the outside her body may have trembled but on the inside she was not going to let him bully her.

It was a quiet sound, almost imperceptible but Aragorn heard it. It was the sound of a fist tightening around a hilt and a knife being made ready to be drawn. The man turned to the elf and saw fury in his eyes and his hand wrapped around one of his long knives. "Aragorn, I beg you to think about what you are doing. There may be no way back from this."

Something in Legolas' voice broke through to his friend and Aragorn took a step back and he hung his head in frustration and guilt. He said no words though and could not meet anyone's eye as he left the room.

"What has gotten into him eh?!" Gimli stared crestfallen at the door. "Do you think I should go after him?"

"I would give him some time." Legolas answered.

"It is all this waiting, sends men loopy. Just got to find something to keep you entertained. That's the trick!" The dwarf nodded a fleeting goodbye at Amy and went off to find some entertainment of his own.

" _What was all that about? I have never seen him like that."_ Amy signs were clipped at nervous.

" _Try not worry about it. He is not himself at the moment."_

" _Try not to worry? I am not a child Legolas, I have never seen him like this before."_

" _Nor have I."_ Legolas paused and took a breath _. "Amy, you once said that if I asked you would tell me everything. Does that still stand?"_

She felt the nerves tighten in her stomach again. _"It does, but you promised that you would never ask."_

" _I know what I promised."_ Legolas held out his hand gesturing for the piece of paper.

Amy felt her trust in him shake but she knew that she could not hold out. She placed it in his hand.

Despite it just being paper he felt an extraordinary weight in his hand. He knew he was not just holding a glimpse into the future but also her trust in him. Any curiosity or desire to know was quashed by how easily she had trusted him. He crushed the paper into a ball and tossed it into the fire.

Amy let out a breath that she did not realise she was holding.

" _No more writing. It is too dangerous. If you must get it out burn it afterwards."_

Amy nodded and found herself easily falling into an embrace.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two**

Amy was regretting her decision slightly as she climbed the steps up to the watchtower so took some deep breaths to steady her nerves.

She knew she could not chicken out of this though. What had happened with Aragorn had put an Amy shaped wedge in between him and Legolas and she would not let that continue.

Aragorn tapped his foot impatiently against the battlements and she could feel every knock travel down the wooden hand rail a she took the final few steps.

He looked up immediately and could not disguise the surprise and… was that fear she could see on his face? She tried to ease the tension with a smile but was sure it looked like a grimace as her own nervousness fluttered through her.

With a steadying gulp, she sat down next to him and let the silence stretch out before them.

What was initially uncomfortable soon became the norm and she felt him relax beside her. She took the piece of blank parchment from her pocket and her ever faithful biro and simply wrote:

 **Rough day?**

Aragorn broke out into a small smile, his eyes wrinkling in amusement. That is not what he had expected.

He held out his hand for the pen and took the parchment. Leaning on his knees for a surface he wrote in reply:

 **You could say that.**

She smiled. She lifted a hand and squeezed his arm gently. It was a small gesture but it had the desired effect.

Aragorn felt a flood of relief that he earlier actions had not destroyed the strange but vital relationship that they had.

 **I am…**

He wrote the words then paused. Placing the paper down he then brought his hands back up and slowly finger spelt. _S…O…RR…Y_.

She showed him the complete sign for it and he copied it.

" _I am sorry Amy."_

" _You are forgiven Aragorn."_

He did not know the signs but he was able to read her meaning from her body language.

" _Thank you."_ He could remember that one.

She leaned over his stretched-out legs and grabbed the parchment.

 **You are my friend Aragorn. I don't have many. Friends forgive friends.**

He read the words as she wrote. Friends. Is that what they were? He did not feel as if he had done anything to earn her friendship.

He took his turn with pen.

 **Friends trust friends and I have not trusted you as I should, nor have I earned your trust in me.**

Amy had already thought on this. She had taken some time alone after the altercation in the King's war room. Legolas had wanted to stay by her side but she had politely asked for a bit of space and was relieved that he did not seem to read too much into it.

The last few days had flown by for her and everything that had occurred between her and the elf had been led by instinct. She had found that a lot of initial thoughts that had raced around her mind had evaporated in the pure delight of it all. But after the events of that morning she found that her bliss had been punctured and this time it was with thoughts of Aragorn and friendship.

Legolas was no doubt her friend, but now he was more than that. She had yet to decide what exactly it was that they were but besides him her pool of people to turn to was decidedly limited. When Aragorn had confronted her in such a manner the hurt it had caused reminded her that Legolas, although closer to her than any before, was not the only person she now cared for. The fear she had felt when the hobbits were missing, the joy when Aragorn had returned from his fall, the laughter Gimli had given her when trying to raise her spirits; it all felt real as hell and she did not want it to end. These were her people, her friends.

 **Friends fight for friends.**

She wrote finally. Friendships were something you worked on. Katie and Chris had put all the work in, to fight for her and she had not reciprocated. She was not going to make that mistake anymore.

 **You were a dick. But you are a good person, my friend, and I forgive you.**

He turned his nose up at being called a dick. Not something that was often used as an insult in Middle Earth, but he understood the sentiment.

" _Thank you."_ He signed once more.

She smiled and took hold of his hands. She moved them into a variety of positions. She nodded at him, urging him to repeat the actions. He looked at her quizzically but did as she bid.

She picked up the parchment once more and explained.

 **Whenever you feel that things are not going well, or that you feel that you have strayed from the right path. Sign that to me and I will help. I will tell you whatever it is I can. No more, no less.**

Aragorn nodded his understanding and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze repeating her comforting gesture from earlier. He then repeated the signs she had shown him. Not for practice, but to show her that that was exactly how he felt now.

She bit her lip and nodded. What could she say that would help him right now? She had done what Legolas had asked and burned all of her notes. He was right, it was not safe to have all of that information just lying around. She had been detailing as much as she could remember from the books but knew that whatever Universe she had found herself in was not exactly aligned with what she knew.

The Rohirim would muster, but where. She could not remember this but she knew there would be a sign. In the books it had been a red arrow, but here?

She held the pen against the parchment and thought hard.

 **There will be a sign. When or what I am not sure.**

Aragorn pondered this. Gandalf had indeed remarked something similar but as the days passed Aragorn's faith was faltering. Her statement was so sure though. There will be a sign. What if he had missed it? What if they had all missed it?

Amy put the pen down and studied him. The Aragorn she had known in the books always seemed so strong and sure. The Aragorn before her was anything but. She preferred this Aragorn, he was real, he was human. She smiled to herself at this and relaxed beside him as he continued his musings.

He would sit there for the next few days and every afternoon Amy would join him. Some days they would write things to one another, other days Amy showed him some useful signs. Signs she hoped he would be able to remember and that would come in useful.

On the fifth day she caught him toying with the Evenstar around his next and her own thoughts were moved to the elf in her life.

It was all so new still and yet the most comfortable thing she had experienced in her life. At night he would come to her room and in the moonlight they would explore each other's bodies until the early morning. Every time her mind thought back to those nights her stomach clenched in a tight knot and she felt her muscles tighten.

It was pure desire. Desire to be touched, the desire to touch. The desire for pleasure and fantasy. The want and need to be taken and to dominate. To abandon responsibility and worry and give in to danger and pure desire.

In the day they were playful with each other, as if the world was not at war. Friends that laughed and joked. Friends that comforted and counselled.

It could not have been more perfect, she thought. Except for the way she would catch him looking at her sometimes. She would study him when he did not realise it; unknowing that his face gave more away than he knew.

 **What's on your mind?**

She broke from her thoughts as Aragorn placed the ever-faithful parchment and pen on her lap with his question.

Was it that obvious, she thought? She considered what to write. She wondered if Legolas has told his friend of what had occurred. She did not think so, but she had a feeling that Aragorn had some suspicions.

 **Legolas.**

Her answer was simple and truthful without giving anything away.

Aragorn smiled. And nodded for her to continue.

Well she could write an essay or keep it simple.

 **We slept together.**

Well there it was. In black and white and she could tell from Aragorn's face that he knew she did not mean they were taking communal naps.

The pen was now in Aragorn's hand but he struggled on what to write. If Legolas had told him this news he could imagine the crude and jesting response he would give but that would not do here.

 **I see.**

Amy raised a delicate eyebrow. Is that really all he was going to write? She was opening up here. Something new and scary and all he could say was 'I see.' She refused the offered pen.

Aragorn was at a loss and desperately wished some sort of distraction would take place to get him out of this situation. Luck was not on his side and so he asked the only thing he could think of.

 **Are you happy with this development?**

As soon as he had written it, however, he had wished he had not. He was not sure he wanted to know the answer. He knew how Legolas felt about her, it was clear to him that his oldest friend was in love with her. Now it seemed he was becoming even more entangled and Aragorn daren't think of consequences for Legolas if it had been a mistake.

Amy took the pen and answered as honestly and as frankly as she could.

 **I don't know. If it is a mistake, then it is quite a frequent one.**

She let out an audible sigh.

She was as confused as the elf it seemed to Aragorn. He took the pen from her now emboldened to help but it was now that the distraction came.

He saw the bright light reflected in her eyes before she even reacted to it.

The beacons were lit.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

Amy broke through the crowd that had gathered in the great hall and headed for her room. She started throwing the small amount she had with her into her trusted satchel scanning the room to make sure nothing was left behind. She was just pulling her cloak around her shoulders when it occurred to her.

'What if I am not going with them?'

She had assumed outright that she would follow them forth but why? What really could she do other than get in the way or cause yet more distraction? She was no longer their guide but their friend. Here for comfort and advice which they may need, but she was no warrior so for the days going forth would she not just become a burden?

As if foreshadowing the conversation to come she felt a light hand on her shoulder and their stood Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. The remains of the Fellowship.

"You look ready to go." Aragorn remarked and Legolas dutifully signed his words.

She nodded whilst sensing the underlying tension.

"Are you sure you wish to come with us lassie?" It was Gimli that spoke next. He had run next to her day after day in chase of the hobbits and saw how close she had come to the edge of her body's endurance.

Amy watched the words form in Legolas' hands and turned to the dwarf. She could not help but smile. If she was not mistaken this was the first time anyone had actually asked her what she had wanted to do, well with the exception of her recent activities with Legolas.

The meaning of her smile was not lost on the elf.

" _I do not know. I just assumed."_ She answered honestly and waited for Legolas to relay the message.

Aragorn looked at the elf and could see the remnants of woe in his eyes from their earlier conversation…

"We ride into war Aragorn! You cannot seriously believe that she will be safer with us than here!"

The man drew a long breath. "Legolas, please. I know you would see her far away from any battle but she is part of this now."

"She is only part of this because we forced her to be!" Legolas bit back.

Aragorn's patience was being tested. "We are to ride at the front of the column in a matter of minutes. I do not have time for this!"

"She will listen to you Aragorn! All I ask is that you release her from this duty that was imposed upon her!"

"Sometimes Legolas there is no escaping duty as much as we wish we could!"

This hit the elf like a blow to the stomach and he turned away from his friend. As if a spell had been broken, the duty he had left behind in Mirkwood pushed past the days gone by and left him feeling wretched and cowardly.

Aragorn knew it was a cruel blow but he had not the time nor wisdom to close this conversation in a manner that would be swift and fulfilling for all their needs.

"I am sorry Legolas. We must leave now and I am not going to order her to do anything."

"Nor should you!" Gimli had entered unnoticed, a first for a dwarf, such was the intensity of the words between the elf and man. "A little less haste is needed from you Aragorn and a little less bossing about from you laddie!"

They both turned to their stout friend. "The simplest and swiftest of solution is to ask her what she wants to do."

And so there they stood, the three hunters, in her room, asking her what she wanted to do.

Amy looked to Legolas but he gave nothing away anymore. _"How long do I have to decide?"_

Aragorn answered. "About ten seconds."

As soon as she had read the signs from Legolas she gave the man an exasperated look.

"We shall be outside. It would please me to have you with us." Aragorn ignored Legolas' sharp look and hoped the elf was translating his words accurately. "But if you decide to stay, do so knowing that you owe us no more." He nodded and gave her a gentle smile then vacated.

Gimli took a step towards her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I will miss you if you stay, but I would not see harm come to you if I can help it." He mumbled the words behind his beard and Amy had no hope of understanding but she did not need to hear the words to know that the dwarf, in his way, had come to care for her.

As Gimli finally shuffled out Amy turned to Legolas. _"Did he really mean ten seconds?"_

Legolas nodded. _"We have to leave now."_ His hands paused and he took a step closer. _"But you, you do not need to go anywhere. You could stay."_

" _What do you think I should do?"_

Legolas shook his head. He wanted to so badly tell her to stay, to remain far from the battle he knew they were riding into. But Gimli had been right, there would be no difference in commanding her to stay now than there had been when Galadriel had commanded her to go with them back in Lothlorien. _"It is not my decision."_

He moved towards her then and took her face in his hands. He studied every inch of it as quickly as he could. If she were to stay then this could be their last moment together.

She could see it there again in his eyes. A depth of emotion that was raw and passionate, that moved beyond simple desire and the body's need for comfort and connection.

How was she supposed to make any informed decision when he was looking at her like that?

"Can you give me five minutes?" She spoke the words silently and he read them on her lips.

He nodded. His hands moved down her body achingly slowly until they rested on her waist. Every move now was deliberate. He rested his forehead against hers and finally after what seemed like an age he brought his lips to hers.

It was gentle and lingering but with a strength behind it that felt like a reservoir pushing against a dam. Amy instinctively grabbed the front of his tunic desperate to pull him closer but also to steady herself.

When he finally pulled back he had hidden all the emotion that was previously there. His elven mask was back. After one more last long look he left.

She was alone.

Now that she was under no obligation to go, there was no reason on Earth that she should be stepping through that door.

As vague and patchy as her knowledge was of what was to come, there was no doubt that war was ahead. And if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that she had no desire to be anywhere near a battleground again. The image of the young man, naught but a boy, dying in the Keep back at Helm's Deep had taught her that there was no glory to be found in battle and that she had nothing she could bring in that regard that would not place her in the way or cause someone else harm.

She was deep in thought, so deep that she did not notice the grey shadow pass behind her.

No, she could not go. The more she thought about it the more ridiculous it seemed. A North London baker goes to war amongst the heroes of Middle Earth. This was the perfect time to step out whilst she still could.

Except, she thought. Merry was riding to war. Merry who was no warrior, but did so because he wanted to protect his friends, to be there for them in whatever way he could. Had she not promised to Aragorn a few days ago that she would be there for him when he needed direction and hope? Be his friend.

If she stayed, when would she see them again? Gondor? How long would that be? She would miss him. Legolas. She would miss whatever it was that they were doing.

She turned back towards her bed and that is when she saw it.

Thomas, her fat grey miserable cat, who she had last seen back in her flat off the Holloway Road was kneading at the pillow that sat at the head of her bed. Amy stood opened mouthed for a few seconds.

Thomas continued to knead seemingly unaware that he was being watched or caring that he was in a Horse Lord's Kingdom where Dreamies had not yet been invented.

She took a step forward. Was she seeing things? Sitting on the edge of the bed she put a hesitant hand out and was rewarded with a hiss as Thomas finally looked up. He trotted away from the pillow and jumped down on the floor, circling a few times before taking a bold sniff of her boots.

"How are you here?" The words came out aloud before she even realised she wanted to say them.

The cat looked up and titled his head, his ears twitching.

"No, you are not real. This isn't happening." She stood abruptly so Thomas dug his needle sharp claws through the sturdy fabric causing her to wince.

Well that certainly felt real.

Apparently satisfied Thomas leaped back onto the bed and then again onto the wooden carved back board. Only, it wasn't a back board anymore but a dresser. And not any dresser, but the dresser that sat in her hallway back in that flat in North London.

"No." It was a quiet whisper.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

"No." It was a quiet whisper.

Amy grabbed the bag that was still on the ground where she had left it and backed away from the scene before her towards the door.

She felt the frame hit her shoulder and the familiar scent of hay and horses. In a mad dash she flew down the corridor and into the main hall of Edoras. It was nearly empty now and the final few were gathering their weapons for the journey ahead.

Not stopping she continued out onto the stone steps and she felt the thunder of hooves rumble through the stone beneath her feet. The smell of the animals was heady and almost overwhelming. It was real. How could this not be real?

She saw him then atop Arod the white steed. He had been watching the doors of the hall agonisingly closely for the last few minutes. Hoping she would not appear through them and yet wishing to see her once more. When he saw her satchel in her hand he knew what her decision was.

She ran through the crowds and towering stallions and took the hand Legolas offered when she reached him. In a swift movement he pulled her up onto Arod's back behind him and said a silent prayer for the Valor to keep her safe.

….

She clung onto him. Tighter than ever before, almost as if she felt he would disappear at any moment. She breathed him in and tried to block out the memory of what had just happened.

Stupid, utterly stupid. She had just run away from safety, her home into what…a war. And for what? Great sex?

She thought of the crude expression Katie used to use. Dickstruck.

No, it was more than that. It was friendship, it was… She shook her head. 'Stop it'.

Arod was thundering below them at a speed she had not experienced before and she closed her eyes and felt keenly the wind rushing past her face.

When she opened her eyes the landscape seemed no different but the air had grown colder. She pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders and instinctively pressed herself closer to Legolas. His elven body was warm and she felt the heat transfer from him to her.

She did not know how long they would be riding for, but part of her wished she could stay as they were for a long while. What would she say to him once this ride was over? Should she tell him what happened? Why on earth was she not at home?

…..

He felt her clinging onto him. Her grip tighter than he had known and he wondered what made her grasp so urgent. There had been no time to say anything when they left, no time to ask her why she had come, no time to tell her to stay, no time for anything.

Why had she come? She had said herself many times that she had never chosen to come on this quest, so why now, why when she had the perfect way out. Why when he needed her to be safe, when he needed not to be so distracted?

He felt all the things that he wanted say stacking up on top of one another, half of them did not even matter but the lack of sound in their lives meant so much meaning and intent had been lost. He found himself, not for the first time, resenting her deafness.

He felt her body push against his and a small spark of delight made itself known. She was with him and despite all his worries, she would be by his side.

…. ….

No camp would be made. The horses needed a rest but it would not be for long. A few fires had sprung up so that the men could get something warm inside of them before continuing.

Amy stretched out her legs and found herself pacing to try and get the feeling back into them. As always, she jumped a little when she felt a strong pat on her back.

Aragorn signed a quick sorry and she smiled in return. "I am glad you are here." He said slowly and clearly.

She nodded to show that she had understood and without a thought she gave him a hug.

Aragorn was a little taken aback, not expecting such a gesture, but soon he returned the embrace and patted her on the back. He was indeed glad to have another friend by his side, especially as she had chosen to be there.

" _Are you hungry?"_ The man signed slowly once the hug had ended.

She shook her head in response. "Probably for the best." He muttered as he thought back to the stew he had just consumed. He looked over Amy's shoulder to see Legolas approaching so decided now was a good time to take his leave.

Amy turned to watch him go and saw Legolas beckon her to him.

" _Come."_ The elf signed so she followed him to a small copse of trees that gave shelter from the bracing wind. _"You decided to come then?"_ He asked once they had entered the shade of the trees hidden away from prying eyes.

He looked worried. His blue eyes stormy and unsure. He hands trembled almost imperceptibly by his side.

" _I could not stay behind."_

" _Why not?"_

She did not answer straight away wondering what to say. She needed to tell him what had happened, she knew that but if she told him she would have to tell him why she had run away from what might have been her only shot at going home.

" _My cat, Thomas, he was in my room."_ 'oh god she sounded mad.'

Legolas face was full of confusion. _"I do not understand."_

Amy paced a little to try and clam herself. _"My cat, he was in the room, in Rohan. He was there."_

" _What? How?"_

" _I don't know, but I know he was there."_

A strange sensation become to form in Legolas' stomach. It was so unusual for an elf to feel this way.

Amy continued _. "He responded to me, he walked around me and then jumped onto the bed, and then… the room begun to change."_

She looked at Legolas waiting for a response, a response that did not come. _"Legolas? Are you okay?"_ He looked far paler than he had ever done before.

He nodded his head slowly. _"It changed?"_

" _I could see my home. My house, my furniture."_ She paused and took a deep breath _. "It felt like I could just step forward and there I would be. It was exactly like how I came to be here."_

" _You mean, you could have left? Gone home?"_

He felt something building inside of him.

She nodded and he could not control it any longer, he turned away and was sick. The first time in his entire life, he was sick.

Amy ran to him and placed an uncertain hand on his back. She had never seen him like this before and she could not fathom that this was because of what she had said.

Legolas took some deep breaths. She could have gone, disappeared as if she had never been here at all. He wiped his mouth and turned back to her.

He could not go on like this. He could not risk never seeing her again without telling her how he felt.

"Amy. I…" He said the words then stopped. He had one more question he needed to ask her first. _"Why did you not step forward, go home."_

Amy could not help but smile slightly. _"Because I am stupid."_

This managed to raise a slight smile from Legolas which spurred her on. Her thoughts mirrored his and she felt bravery spark within her.

Her hands shook as she signed. _"I did not want to go home."_

Legolas felt as if his hands were frozen, unwilling to cooperate with his mind. He suddenly wondered if he knew any signs at all, he just needed to sign three words. Three simple words and it would be done. He felt all his courage leaving him as she stood there waiting for him to say something. _"Why?"_ It was all he could manage.

'Why indeed?' Amy thought. Her courage had not quite abandoned her yet so she answered as honestly as she could. _"I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you again."_

Legolas let out a breath he did not know he was holding. He had almost lost her and yet now here she was telling him that she had stayed because of him. _"Amy I…"_ He so desperately wanted to finish that sentence but he heard the man approaching moments before Aragon entered the treeline.

"I am sorry friends, we need to move." Aragorn could feel that he had just interrupted something but he had given them all the time he could afford lest they be left behind.

Legolas nodded his acceptance. _"We have to go."_ He signed watching her face change.

She felt vulnerable. She had made an admission that she herself had not yet come to terms with and now it was out there in the open unanswered.

She bit her lip. She had not been able to read his reaction at all, and she did not know whether to curse Aragorn or thank him for his timely interruption. What could she do now though? It was time to go, it would always be time to go whilst a war waged around them.

… **.**

It was possibly the strangest sight she had seen yet. How exactly had the seemingly endless zigzag that was their ascending path been made? Was it carved out of stone by hand?

She was pleased when they reached the plateau at the summit as the constant back and forth was making her feel slightly sick. When Legolas helped her down from Arod she stumbled slightly as the combination of her natural imbalance, the view of the lands far below her and the hours of swaying, had her definitely in need of finding her feet.

As ever Legolas was there to catch her but this time it felt different to be in his arms. She felt the colour rise in her cheeks. 'Why am I blushing?' She thought to herself. They had shared countless more intimate moments than this.

She looked up at him and again she could read nothing. She felt exposed and foolish.

The final stretch of the ride had been brutal and she had clung onto him for dear life. It had been infuriating to be so close to him and yet feel as if a gulf had opened up between them. "Amy I…" He had said before Aragorn had come. "Amy I…" what? Amy I like you but just as a friend. Amy I think you should have gone home. Amy I am an impossibly beautiful elf and you are a human and whilst the sex is good it isn't going to work out between us…

She felt his arms release her which broke her from her thoughts and there now seemed to be some reluctance to his movements.

" _I should help set up the camp."_ Legolas signed not really wanting to leave her side and knowing that he had a very important sentence to finish.

" _It is fine."_ She tried to smile but was sure it looked more like a grimace. _"I should help too."_ She could not hide the slightly daunted look on her face. Help, help doing what? Did someone need help making some jam, or whisking their meringue?

Legolas could not help but reach out and tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. A gesture so simple but intimate. She found it comforting.

" _Why don't you take Arod to where the horses are being sheltered? Make sure he gets some hay and water."_

Amy nodded. She could do that.

There was a crowd of riders and their horses gathered by the rock face that lay at the back of the plateau. Three large men led a wagon over and begun shovelling hay onto the ground and the crowd surged forward as hungry horses and weary men wrestled to get access.

Amy stood back with Arod, not wanting to get involved. _"Happy to wait?"_ She signed to the horse. Arod snorted loudly blowing air into her face. She laughed a little and rubbed his nose.

She turned back to the crowd and noticed that it had parted slightly. Eowyn had led her own horse to feed and the men stepped back in respect allowing their shieldmaiden space. She looked up her hair blowing across her face and beckoned Amy to join her.

'Looks like we are in luck.' She thought to herself.

Arod almost pulled her off her feet in his eagerness to get to his food and Amy was glad when she managed not to fall.

Eowyn smiled at her and the two stood in an awkward silence.

The lady of Rohan looked closely at the woman before her. She looked no different than any other woman that she had met. There was nothing inherently special about her and yet here she was, on an adventure surrounded by men and excepted as one of them.

Amy could feel the eyes upon her and looked nervously at her feet.

Eowyn wished she could say something in sign. Something that would break the awkwardness.

When the horses had had their fill the two women led them away to a staging area that they would be kept in.

"Will you come with me for a moment?" Eowyn spoke quietly but made sure that she spoke slowly and clearly as she faced Amy.

Amy did not know why she felt nervous and swallowed a gulped as she nodded.

She followed Eowyn to a large tent that had been one of the first to be erected. On the inside it had been laid and lined with furs and drapes, and a small wooden pallet had been covered in all manner of cushions and cloth as a makeshift bed.

'This was not a bad way to go camping,' thought Amy.

Eowyn took the small bag from her belt and pulled out a piece of parchment then rummaged around for something else.

Amy knew what she was looking for so opened her own bag and pulled out her trusty biro. She wondered just how long the biro would last, had anyone ever actually kept a biro until it had run out of ink, she thought absently.

She gestured for Eowyn to take the pen and was surprised but pleased when Eowyn did not take forever studying it as those before her had done.

 **Thank you for coming. I have long wished to talk with you but time seems to escape me these days.**

Eowyn glanced up to make sure Amy was following then continued.

 **You must be wondering what it is I want? I wish I was able to speak more freely with you.**

The lady paused. She wished it had not come to this, that she had been able to converse with Amy in the days gone past, that they may have naturally come to find their common ground rather than force it out through written request.

Amy could see that Eowyn was hesitating over what to write next. She reached for the pen which Eowyn gave gladly.

 **None of this situation is ideal. Writing brief notes is no substitute for a full conversation but I do not hold anything against you for turning to this now.**

Eowyn nodded her understanding and retrieved the pen.

 **Will you fight? Alongside the men, alongside your friends.**

Amy hesitated a long while over this question. No she did not think she would fight. She had been trying to keep the story straight in her head over the last few days and was sure that soon the rangers and the twins of Elrond would come and it would be time to walk the Paths of the Dead. She did not want to walk those paths, but she was better off there than in the middle of a battlefield. None of this she could say to Eowyn however, and she knew why Eowyn was asking her this.

She composed a careful answer.

 **I don't want to fight, but I would follow my friends.**

Eowyn considered this.

 **They accept you beside them so easily, as if you were one of them, as if…**

She paused and Amy waited.

 **As if you were not a woman.**

Amy smiled gently. She remembered the time she had discovered Eowyn in the books all those years ago. In a book so focused on the power of men. Eowyn was a breath of fresh air. Brave, full of heart and an absolute badass. She was all of those things as she stood before her now.

Amy look the pen knowing exactly what she wanted to say.

 **They accept me because of who I am not what I am. But regardless of that, I am a woman. I am woman, and that makes me more dangerous than they will ever realise.**

 **How so?**

 **Because there are some men that will always underestimate what we can do because we are women. It will come as a bloody shock to them when they are in a situation where only we have the strength to prevail. We do not need to become like them Eowyn. We are women, we are going to kick some arse.**

Amy could not help herself with the last sentence. She could feel Eowyn's strength radiating from her and that seemed to feed her own. She felt braver than ever before.

Eowyn let out a small chuckle. Aragorn had told her that Amy was very far from home, but Eowyn could not help but think she must be from another planet from the way she wrote.

Eowyn took her turn with the pen.

 **You are the bravest woman I have met.**

Amy shook her head.

 **I do not think that is true at all. The women of Rohan are far braver than I have ever been. You only need to look in the mirror and you will be seeing the bravest of them all.**

Eowyn accepted the compliment with grace and it steeled her resolve. She would not be left behind. She gave Amy's hand a gentle squeezed and the mouthed the words 'Thank you.'

Amy smiled and decided to leave Eowyn to her thoughts. She pulled the flap of the tent down behind her and hoped that what was in the books would come true for Eowyn. That she would get the valour she desired and in turn play her part in saving Middle Earth. She also hoped that her heart would find its peace with someone that could return the love it was bursting with.

Her thoughts of love had her mind turning to her own heart. A heart once broken and locked away now felt full of emotion. The only way she could describe it was that feeling when you burst into laughter unexpectedly, perhaps somewhere you should not be laughing but nothing, no will in the world, could stop the laughter from overflowing.

That feeling, coupled with a desire that felt heavy in her stomach that made her feel as if she was always on a rollercoaster.

If she had stepped forward she could have gone home, she could have stepped off of the rollercoaster and back into her safe, clean, careful life.

Had she made a terrible mistake? No matter how many times she had asked herself that question on the ride here she could never find it in her to regret her decision.

Gandalf had asked her if there needed to be a reason for why she was in Middle Earth. Of course there did not need to be a reason. There was no reason to most of life's upsets, the good and the bad. But whilst there was no reason to her being here, she had found a reason to stay.

She had lost the person dearest to her four years ago, something that had changed her life for the worse. Something that had left a wound so deep that everything else was consumed by it. Until she had met him.

The wound that cut across her heart had begun to heal. Bridges had been built, friendships made and a heart once closed had found a kindred spirit.

As if on cue she saw him duck out from one of the erected tents. He scanned the plateau and when he saw her his eyes softened and beckoned her to come to him.

She unconsciously took a deep breath.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

Gimli lay fast asleep on a small wooden cot that had been thrown together. Amy wondered just how the dwarf could sleep so deeply within minutes of arriving somewhere no matter what the surface he found himself laying upon. She supposed that is how he always seemed to be full of energy when he needed it.

The tent was stark in comparison to the one that had been set up for Eowyn with just two wooden cots. She assumed Aragorn had been put elsewhere. It then occurred to her, where would she be sleeping? That's if she would get any sleep. Despite not being a guide in any shape or form anymore her mind could not keep rattling back to the books. At some point surely the rangers would come.

" _You seem distracted."_ His hands moved into her eyeline, catching her attention.

" _It has been one of those days."_ She watched his face carefully, desperately trying to read anything he was saying with those deep expressive eyes. _"How are you feeling? I did not know elves could get sick?"_

He remembered how it had felt, a feeling so unusual to him. _"I am fine. I just…I guess the thought of not seeing you again was too much for me as well."_ He watched as her face softened at his words and felt his own heart beating harder in his chest.

'Did he really mean that?' She thought, suddenly feeling hopeful.

Legolas stepped closer and ran his hands up her arms in a soothing motion, trying to draw comfort for himself as he felt his mouth go dry.

As soon as his fingers touched her she felt it again, something she had felt a few times now. A passing of energy from him to her.

She looked at him, studying his face to see if he felt something too. She saw it then, something in his eyes. His pupils dilated.

" _What is that?"_ She signed. _"That feeling, can you feel that?"_

" _I feel it."_ He took his hands away to sign ending the feeling.

" _I have never felt anything like that before, what is it?"_

Legolas had not felt it before either but he knew what it was. His father had once spoken of the first time he had met Legolas' mother. The King Thranduil had helped the fair maiden to her feet when he came upon her tending to roses in the one of the Mirkwood gardens. She knelt amongst the soil with no cares as to the state of her dress, completely engrossed in what she was doing. When she took his offered hand they had both felt something.

The elves called it 'the heart's song,' an ancient belief that the heart would make it known when it had found the person it was searching for. Legolas had listened to the stories, and had once upon a time dreamed that his heart would sing for him, but as time drew on and his father's ultimatum came to be he stopped believing and dreaming. That was until Amy appeared in his life, so removed from his reality and yet now so vital to his being. His heart sang for her and now he was sure, at least he hoped he could hear hers singing too.

" _The elves believe it happens when a person's heart is singing for something.'"_ Legolas answered carefully.

" _Singing for what?"_ She asked. She felt drawn to him and she raised her hand placing them on his chest. She could feel his strong heart beating slowly in his chest.

His own hands now moved to her body and ran achingly slowly up her back. She could not have answered his question if she wanted to as his lips moved to her face. He placed tender breathy kisses on her forehead then moved down the side of her face until he reached her ear. His nose nuzzled the soft skin behind her ear and she gripped the front of his tunic to steady herself as she felt the blood in her body rush to her head.

"Legolas." It was a whisper from her mouth but he heard it and could not stop his face from reacting. The sound of his name on her lips was almost too much.

She saw his face change and she knew that she had spoken and her own fears begun to bubble up again inside of her.

" _I should, I need to…"_ Her hands shook over the signs. Her feet were on autopilot backing away.

"Amy." Legolas closed the gap and took hold of her hands. "Stay." He spoke the words and his eyes implored her not to go.

She felt her heart hammering against her chest as painful memories of her past threatened to overwhelm her.

"Amy." He ran a gentle hand down her face, it was now or never, he thought. If she left the tent now there would be no other opportunity, it was time to finish that sentence. "Amin mela lle" The words came tumbling out in elvish.

Amy had read his lips but was none the wiser. Something though, intrigue perhaps, kept her from leaving.

" _What did you say?"_

" _It was elvish."_ He signed _"It means…"_ He put his hands down. He wanted to say it to her. "Amy, I love you."

There was no mistaking what he had said this time. You did not need to be an expert lip reader to be able to decipher those words upon the lips of someone that your heart yearned for.

She was not sure how long she stared at him for but she could see that his face was now becoming concerned at her silence.

Her hands shook as she put two simple signs together. _"You do?"_

" _I do."_ A tender smile reappeared on his lips and his eyes seemed to shine brighter than ever before. It had felt so good to say it _"I love you."_ He repeated it this time in sign.

She ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth suddenly feeling as if she had swallowed sand. She forced her hands to cooperate. _"Legolas?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _I think…."_ Her hands were shaking almost uncontrollably. _"I love you too."_

Legolas clasped her hands in his and felt all the tension from his body leave. The feeling that he had been holding onto was out and reciprocated.

He had been falling in love with her, just as she was falling in love with him. He knew it long before her but she had certainly caught up with him. In that moment, back in Rohan, when she had the choice to return home, she felt her heart breaking at the thought of not seeing him again. He had smashed through all her careful defences, mind and body and in their place, was trust, desire, companionship and love.

She took her hands back and signed, _"Is this real?"_

He smiled. He remembered their first argument back in Lothlorien when she had questioned the reality of her situation. He had become angry and he knew then that his feelings for her were becoming stronger.

" _Let's check."_ His eyes were full of mischief as he pulled her closer to him once more. His lips crashed into hers.

He was real, this was real. For better or for worse she had made her choice.

The kiss intensified as all the fear of hurt left them both. Legolas pulled her against him and she gripped onto his shoulders.

Now that the final barrier had been pulled down between them, they both felt a rush of pure emotion. To Amy it felt like freedom. Something she had not experienced a lot of in her life. Freedom to love, to put faith in someone, to trust and to give everything you had.

"You know I am right here!" Gimli grumbled seemingly disturbed from his sleep.

Amy did not know what had caused Legolas to spring back so suddenly but when she saw the dwarf shuffling to his feet she had the decency to turn red. She had forgotten he had been there sleeping this whole time.

"I am sorry my friend." Legolas uttered also turning slightly pink.

"Well never you mind me! I will find somewhere else to kip whilst you two love birds do whatever it is you tall folk get up to!" The dwarf grabbed his axe and fumbled his way out of the tent cursing as he struggled to find the exit.

Amy could not help but giggle. A sound so small but once again music to Legolas' ears. He showed no reaction though. He knew that this was one area he should not be pushing right now.

…..

"My Lord, Elrond." Aragorn bowed his head slightly but the surprise was written all over his face.

The Elven Lord stood and approached the man a grave look marring his noble features.

"I come on behalf of one whom I love. Arwen is dying."

Aragorn heard the words, words that he already knew deep down inside. His dreams of late had been haunted by the thoughts of his beloved's death. He knew she had chosen to stay, and he knew it was because of him.

It was almost as if the rest of the conversation had passed him by in yet another dream, knowing what was expected of him but fearing that he would not have the courage to do it. If he failed, however, Arwen would die and that forced his feet forward towards his horse. He strapped the sword Anduril to Brego and soothed the horse's frayed nerves with some elvish words.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice cut through the night like ice as she barely reigned in her temper. Aragorn looked over his shoulder and Eowyn stood there with a ferocity in her eyes. The war lies to the East. You cannot leave on the eve of battle. You cannot abandon the men."

"Eowyn…" Aragorn said almost as a sigh turning away. He had not the energy to argue with her but could feel his own temper rising.

"We need you here."

He turned back suddenly his voice raised. "Why have you come?"

Eowyn hesitated and thought back to her earlier conversation with Amy. Amy had called her brave, she did not feel particularly brave now. She also thought of the elf that was so clearly in love with the woman. She wondered if it was as obvious on her face the feelings she held. **"** Do you not know?"

Of course he knew. He had seen the way she had looked at him. She held him up and hoped of a future that was not possible. "It is but a shadow and a thought that you love . . . I cannot give you what you seek." He was as gentle as he could be but it was as if he had struck her. She stepped back abruptly.

Her pride stung and her heart felt as if it was pulling itself apart but she would not just let him skulk off into the shadows.

"You will not even have the decency to say goodbye to your friends? Have they not earned at least that?"

She had him there.

He turned to her, he wanted to make things right but she had already turned her back on him disappearing between the tents.

He felt torn. She was right. He should go to his friends, he should tell them where he was going, he should say goodbye. He knew though, that they would not let him go alone, and this was one thing he would not allow them to follow him into. If he was to walk the Paths of the Dead, then he would do so by himself.

He swung back around intending to mount Brego in haste and make his departure swift but he was greeted by the sight of a grumpy looking dwarf resting heavily on his axe.

"And just where do you think you're off to?"

Aragorn let out a sigh. He did not know whether to be annoyed or relived. "I have something I must do, and this time you must stay my friend."

Gimli snorted. "I do not think so, where you go we go."

"Not this time."

"So you want me to go let the laddie and lassie know that you have wandered off without them? I am not your messenger."

"I don't expect you to take a message for me Gimli."

"Well that is settled then. I shall tell the elf to ready the horse."

Aragorn could not help but roll his eyes. This was not going his way. "Gimli no, please just let me pass."

"I'll have less haste from you." The dwarf turned and begun to stride back towards his and Legolas' tent, still conversing loudly. Aragorn really had no choice but to follow. Perhaps Legolas would be more reasonable.

"I thought you were the clever one." Gimli laughed. "Amy would just be able to tell us where you had gone anyway and we would have caught up with you in no time!"

Amy. If Legolas would not be reasonable then he could rely on her. She would know he needed to go alone and convince them to stay. His whispered for Brego to wait and followed the dwarf into the tent.

Legolas had heard the impending footsteps of his dwarven companion and this time was ready not to be caught in a compromising position.

"Aragorn." Legolas nodded his head in welcome and raised an inquisitive brow as to this sudden convening of the remaining fellowship.

"I just caught this one," Gimli jabbed an accusing finger at the man. "trying to head off without us."

Aragorn found yet another sigh escape his lips and scratched his head guiltily. "There is something I must do." He offered quickly before Legolas could react. "I must go and you cannot come with me. Theoden will need you with him."

"You want us to stay because Theoden will need us or you do not want us?" Legolas asked coolly.

"Now you said to me we could not come, not that you did not want us to come?" Gimli now turned his steely gaze to Aragorn and slowly but surely the ranger felt like a hunted animal.

"Please, this is not about need or want, this is about something that I must do alone."

"So we must stay?" Gimli asked.

Aragorn bit his lip. He was cornering himself. He looked over to Amy pleadingly. She gave him a sympathetic smile but really she was none the wiser as to what was going on.

"Legolas, can you ask Amy something for me?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself, since we are not needed?" It was a low blow but along with his dwarven conspirator he knew they had the man where they wanted him.

Aragorn felt the need to pinch the bridge of his nose as he felt the tension pool there. His own stubbornness was kicking in. "Amy." He tried to speak as clearly as possible. "Do you know where I must go next?"

She read his lips and nodded. Yes she did.

"I must go alone."

"That is a leading statement." Gimli grumbled.

Aragorn whipped his head round, "I am not on trial here!"

The dwarf just grumble some more in reply.

The man turned back and tried again. "I cannot have others follow me where I must go."

She concentrated hard and caught most of it. She looked at Legolas and Gimli and could see that they were going to broker no argument. They were going with him, even if they knew not where he was going, and Aragorn was wrong. He would need his friends around him.

" _You should probably tell them where you are going?"_ Amy signed.

Aragorn tried to decipher a much as he could but looked at Legolas imploringly.

Despite his earlier comment the elf obliged. He did not want to silence Amy.

"She said that you should tell us where you are going?"

Amy approached the man and laid a comforting hand on his arm before retracting it and signing. _"You don't have to go alone."_

Aragorn did not know what she had signed but he could see that she was there to comfort him. She was trying to ease the weight he was carrying.

"I have to walk the Paths of the Dead." He said after a moment's quiet. "I must ask the dead to fight for me. Not enough have come so I am left with little option. I would not ask anyone to follow me there."

"We are not being asked, we are offering." Gimli observed.

"Have you learnt nothing of the stubbornness of Dwarves?" Legolas asked.

"You might as well accept it - we're going with you, laddie."

Aragorn could not help but smile a little. _"And you? Will you come?"_ He turned to Amy and put together some fractured signs.

It felt good to be asked.

She looked at Legolas. She could see the conflict on his face. So desperate to keep her safe but not wanting to drag her through the path that lay ahead of them just to keep her close.

" _I should probably just go back to Edoras with the woman of the court."_ She signed to Legolas.

" _Yes you should."_

She should but she did not want to. She would follow him.

" _If it's okay with you. I think I might stick around for a bit longer."_

" _If I asked you to stay. To go back with Eowyn would you?"_

Amy smiled. Eowyn would be going the one place she did not think Legolas would want her going. _"I think we have established that I do not listen to you."_

He smiled in return. _"Then I will not ask, and I will keep you safe no matter where we end up."_

" _And I will try not to be too much of a distraction."_ The love that now was so obviously in her eyes danced across her face.

Legolas could feel it radiating off her and despite his fears for what lay ahead his heart responded, enraptured in a delight that masked the fear. _"I think that ship has sailed."_

She let out a small laugh and Gimli and Aragorn watched on letting what was so clear to everyone now wash over them. It felt good that despite of everything, that there was still love to be found in this world. A girl that had come to them so scared and silent now stood before them strong and not as quiet as she perhaps had started as.

Legolas now became conscious of his friends' regard and finally spoke. "It would seem that Amy will be joining us."

"You don't say." Mumbled Gimli in amusement.


	36. Chapter 36

A/n: Thank you so much for all your reviews and comments. I can't believe how nice everyone has been, it is so helpful reading your thoughts.

Chapter Thirty-Six

They had passed through the standing stones as midnight brought a new day, but as the sun now finally broke over the Dimholt Road Amy could not see any end to this narrow road. She knew it was inevitable but she hoped for at least a little longer they would not reach the doorway into the mountain.

It seemed the rangers and the twins of Rivendell were not coming. She hoped that this was not significant, but it did mean that just the four of them would be stepping into the darkness.

Amy hated the dark. Darkness took away her sight and without her sight she was alone and lost. At home she had a little lamp that she kept on by her bed; when she slept under the stars she thanked the moon for it cold yet clear light; and when she slept in her bed at Rohan she always had a candle burning. She was not holding out a lot of hope for a well-lit road under the mountain.

She could feel a rumbling from Legolas' chest as her head rested against his back. She knew he must be speaking to his companions but she did not know what he said. For once, she did not care.

Despite her fear of the darkness that she knew she must confront imminently she felt content. He loved her. She knew that that was what she had seen in his eyes so many time but to have him say it to her, it was like a light had come on. A light that would hopefully see her through the dark days ahead.

Beyond the war though, who knew what would happen next. Any knowledge she had of this world was quickly running out and she had no knowledge of what life would bring afterwards for her and for Legolas.

As the day drew on the company of four shared little words as the barren and harsh landscape jutted around them. There were no birds, no wind, just the rhythmic thud of Arod and Brego's hooves on the sandy rock beneath them.

As the sun began to make its decent, disappearing behind the mountain, they finally came upon a sheer wall of rock with a break in it that ominously seemed to call them forth.

"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away." Gimli whispered.

Aragorn gestured for them to dismount.

Legolas once more helped Amy from the horse.

" _I will not let go."_ He signed quickly before taking hold of her hand tightly. He had sensed her distress which had been steadily growing the nearer they got to the door. He did not need to ask the reason for it this time. He could feel his own distress growing. No one walked this path without fear gripping their heart.

The four of them passed through the gap and found themselves in a narrow passage no more than two metres across that was sheltered by overhanging rock. Before them stood a door that seemed to disappear into blackness.

Around the door were symbols. Amy looked to Legolas but he kept his promise and did not let go of her hand. Instead he turned to her in the fading light and spoke, hoping she would be able to lip read him.

"The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it. The way is shut."

As soon as he had finished speaking an icy cold wind rushed out of the doorway. Amy instinctively leaned into it lest she be pushed backwards off her feet. She closed her eyes momentarily to stop the stinging wind from entering them and found comfort in the strong grip of Legolas' hand and the feel of his hair as it whipped against her face.

Her brief respite was broken when she felt him tug her backwards. She opened her eyes and saw him desperately trying to hold onto Arod as the two horses reared and bucked in terror. Eventually he had no choice but to let go of Arod's reins lest he and Amy be pulled away.

Aragorn followed suit and watched sadly as his faithful friend Brego disappeared from sight. He was resolute though, there was no turning back. He looked once more to his friends, they were not turning back either.

"I do not fear death."He muttered finally and disappeared into the darkness.

Legolas did not waste any time and with one final squeeze of Amy's hand he pulled her with him into the black.

Legolas was the only one that heard Gimli's words before the dwarf plunged on after them.

"Well, this is a thing unheard of ... An Elf will go underground when a Dwarf dare not. Oh! I'd never hear the end of it!"

… _.._

The initial corridor was dark but an eerie green light shone about twenty feet in the distance. Aragorn led them towards it and the narrow passageway opened up into a wider area that had been carved out of the stone. There were two roughhewn openings, one that dove down deep into the mountain and another that just seemed to disappear into the nothingness.

There was a glowing torch fixed to the wall that gave off the sickly green light. It was not an especially comforting colour, nor did the fact that it had to have been lit by someone, or something, bring much ease to anyone, but for Amy it was a haven. She could see.

Aragorn pulled hard, took the torch and looked back at his friends. "I have a horrible feeling we need to go down."

Gimli grumbled. "Of course we do."

Legolas just simply nodded and looked to Amy. He could see the fear all over her face. He looked at their hands intertwined. "I will not let go." He said it silently, repeating his signs from earlier. She caught the words on his lips in the gloom and gave a shallow nod.

She followed him as he fell into step with man and dwarf into the darkness that led down further into the mountain.

At first there was nothing but stark black walls that were unnaturally smooth and seemed to run on and on into nothing. At one point the walls either side of her were almost glass like; deep black, yet crystal clear. She could see a blur of movement and realised that it must be their reflections as they moved swiftly on.

It was unnerving to say the least. As the wall became more jagged their reflections became more distorted until she could no longer tell if it was really them she was seeing. The air around them was close and warm and as they moved at a steady pace she could feel sweat forming on her neck and forehead. Instinctively she reached out her free hand cautiously, tempted to run her hand along the wall hoping it would be cool.

As soon as her fingers touched the wall an icy wind blasted through the tunnel and begun to swirl around them. The winds were clearly not natural and grew stronger by the minute as if something had been awoken, something that knew they had entered the heart of the mountain

Dust, sand and other small fragments that it did not bear thinking of their origin begun to abrasively whip at their skin.

Gimli, the smallest of the group, took a mouthful of the stuff and coughed violently.

"Quickly, we need to move on." Aragorn urged and pushed Gimli forward. Legolas gripped Amy's hand and pulled her into a jog.

The floor became steeper as they delved deeper and deeper along the path. The rocks became more unstable beneath their feet and Amy found herself stumbling a few times.

It was hard going and she felt her toes aching as they scrunched in her boots as they continued downwards. The ground became even more treacherous and their progress grew slow. She not hear Aragorn whisper. "Be careful." All she felt was Legolas' strong grip on her hand.

Aragorn was the first feel it. The floor shifted.

It was if it just gave way and what had once been their path was now nothing but falling rocks as the angle of ground became impossibly steep. As Aragorn fell, Gimli not far behind him, the torch hit the ground, snuffing out the flame and leaving them in darkness. Aragorn desperately tried to grab hold of anything that would stop the fast slide he was in but everything he touched just came away in his hands. He could hear Gimli swearing in dwarvish as he tumbled down behind him.

Legolas reacted with elvish fleetness and tried to back away but even for him it was too late and before he knew it his back had hit the floor and he too was sliding down the rocky precipice. He knew he had dragged Amy with him as her hand was clinging onto his for dear life.

As soon as the light has gone out Amy felt almost suffocated by her lack of sight and hearing. She gripped Legolas' hand and her once free hand now held onto his arm. The sensory deprivation meant she had not realised she was falling until the back of head hit the floor that had once been beneath her feet.

She felt the air leave her lungs as the impact sent shockwaves through her body. She had lost hold of Legolas' arm but one hand clung on with all her strength.

Rocks cut into her legs and back and the wind blew dust into her eyes and mouth. She would never be sure how long they fell for but in her isolation, it felt like an age.

Legolas' eyes strained in the darkness trying to make anything out, something that he could grab. He had no idea how far this drop would go on for and he was not about to risk chancing finding out what was at the bottom. A black shadow loomed ten feet in front of him approaching fast. 'It must be a boulder,' he thought.

He braced his legs ready for the impact and wrapped his fingers around Amy's wrist. He was ready to stop their momentum when Amy felt something else hit her own feet first. The force caused her body to buckle forwards.

Legolas desperately tried to keep hold of her but he was pulled off his previous course by her momentum and when the boulder hit, it hit straight on their outreached arms. The impact was too much and Legolas broke his promise.

He let go of her hand.

….

She was sure that she was no longer falling. The ground still felt uneven and unstable but had begun to level out. She could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest and there was a shooting pain in her arm but overall she felt in one piece.

Silence.

Darkness.

It was all consuming.

She could not see an inch in front of her and whilst in a crumpled heap she did not know which way was up or down. Her empty hands felt frozen against the stone. She could feel panic begin to build inside of her.

Her worst nightmare realised.

No sight, no sound.

She begun to desperately reach out around her hoping to find Legolas' warm hand outstretched to her. Nothing.

Her movements became more erratic and her fingers scrabbled in the dust and dirt. She felt like she had been swallowed into nothingness with only cold cutting stone surrounding her.

The panic grew again.

She stumbled to her feet only to slip once more to the ground, her balance completely compromise without her senses. The rock around her now felt as if it was sitting on her chest as her lungs burned, desperate for the oxygen she was not getting from her shallow panicked breaths. Her fingers and lips had already begun to tingle as the panic attack hit in full force.

To Amy, she was buried alive in a coffin of stone.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Legolas knew what had broken his fall when Gimli let out a loud grunt as he collided with him.

"Dratted elf, I am not your cushion!"

Legolas was quick to his feet and desperately turned around trying to work out where Amy would land.

"Are we all alright?" Aragorn's voice was distant but strong.

"I would have been if this blond lump had not landed on me."

"Quiet!" Legolas' voice was cold and harsh. Like ice it stole the breath from the man and the dwarf leaving nothing but silence.

His elven ears heard it then. The rasp of a terrified breath in the distance. "I can hear Amy. Stay here and stay quiet."

Aragorn and Gimli daren't even make a noise to agree and they did not hear Legolas' silent footfalls as he made his way towards the breaths.

A primal fear was striking her heart and she struggled for breath. Her throat felt as if it was closing up and she felt faint as her lungs screamed for air. With a small final rasp her breath failed her.

'Come on Amy.' Legolas thought to himself as the breath in the distance faded. He had no way of letting her know he was coming and no way of asking her to make some noise. 'Please Amy. Say something.'

Amy knew she was on the verge of passing out as her last breath caught in her throat. He had promised. He had promised he would not let go. He would come for her.

She clutched at her chest and willed herself to take one long breath in through her nose. It was trembling but it was something. "Legolas."

It was quiet, just a murmur in the dark but it was enough.

He was beside her in seconds and when she felt strong hands on her she knew that they belonged only to him.

Relief washed through her like euphoria and she buried her face in his chest whilst her arms wrapped around him hoping never to be parted again.

Legolas wished he could say something to her, something to soothe her, but he knew it was pointless. She was trembling violently and her breaths now came in quick harsh convulsions. He knew they could not stay where they were for long, and as much as he wished he could take the time to comfort her, this was not the place.

"Aragorn." He called out in the darkness. "I have her."

"The air moves along here, I think we should follow it." The ranger called back.

"Follow air!" Muttered Gimli. "Do we not have some light to follow?"

"There is a green glow in the distance. The air is being pulled towards it." Legolas' eyes could see further than that of his companions.

"Then we shall go."

He heard Aragorn and Gimli's feet begin to move carefully amongst the rubble but he could tell that Amy was reluctant to let him go. In a smooth movement, he hooked one arm behind her knees and brought her legs up, he would carry her.

Amy did not protest. She just buried her head in his neck and let silent tears fall. It was the first moment she wished that she had gone home when she had had her chance in Rohan.

She did not belong here, not in this darkness.

… _.._

She could see it now. A glimmer of light that grew with every step forward. Eventually she could clearly make out the outline of the man and dwarf before her. Amy looked up and despite only a little light Legolas' blue eyes glittered in the gloom.

She gently patted his shoulder and wriggled slightly indicating that she wanted to be put down.

He placed her down with a gentleness and tenderness that made her regret her decision, and she faltered when reluctantly she had to step away from him.

He watched her movements carefully. She was carrying herself at angle. She must be hurt, he thought. She held her left arm tightly to her body and as he encouraged her forward with a hand on her back he saw the slight limp in her right leg.

He snaked his arm around her waist and she felt him take some of her weight off of her feet. A soft heat begun to radiate from him at every point where their bodies touched. As she moved forward her mind could not help but stray back to yesterday.

"I love you."

He loved her. Why? How?

Is that why she was here? Were they meant to find each other? She did not know why but she found this thought comforting. They were meant to love each other, they just happened to be born on different worlds. So perhaps the fates had intervened and corrected their mistake.

But what a mistake it had been. Their worlds were so different. They were so different. He was immortal. She was definitely not. She would age and die. He would watch as she decayed. Then what would happen? She looked once more ahead to Aragorn. Arwen had chosen a mortal life for him. Is that what Legolas was doing, could he choose that? Could she let him do that?

He was supposed to live on. He was supposed to go to Ithilian and then eventually sail West. And what of her? What was she supposed to do?

Amy did not have any sort of life plan, but she had aspirations. She had made a small success of her business and had always dreamed of expanding it and having a shop. She did not think that was exactly achievable here but did she really just want to follow him wherever his path led.

She looked back up at him, his face now illuminated in the green light. Maybe she did want to follow him. Maybe they had a new path to take together.

….

Aragorn pulled the torch from the wall and hoped that this one would last longer than the last.

He held it up and strode forward through a hewn archway.

Soon the light seemed to burst forth illuminating a huge cavern that rose fifty feet into air and fell away in darkness.

He stepped forward onto the smooth rock outcrop that split the cavern in two and beckoned his friends forward.

There was a loud crack, like stone being sundered and the ghostly winds awoke once more swirling around their feet.

Amy knew why they were here. She had some recollection of what came forth in the books but neither of those things prepared her for when a spectral figure stepped out from the solid stone rock face.

It was as if all the blood in her body had left her standing weak and dizzy.

Legolas instinctively pushed her behind him and drew his bow. Aragorn held his sword aloft and Gimli snarled in defiance clutching his axe tightly.

At first she thought it was a thick fog forming around them but as it grew closer she could make out the figures more clearly.

Eyeless sockets, toothless mouths, fingers without flesh, an army of spectres that clutched at weapons as if they were their last link to life.

"Who enters my domain?"

Aragorn stepped forward unflinchingly. He was ready for this. "One who will have your allegiance."

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass." He became clearer, the wraithlike King of the Dead.

Amy felt as if ice ran through her veins instead of blood. The dead surrounded her and it was so deeply human to be afraid.

She watched Aragorn continue to step forward. She could also see clearly that the King in him was also present.

"You will suffer me!"

It rang through the cavern, a malevolent laugh that held no joy. It filled every crack and Amy could feel it ring through her body, vibrating in her chest.

The figures surrounding them moved closer and revealed the tattered banners of the King they betrayed.

"The way is shut . . ." The temperature in the cavern dropped. "It was made by those who are Dead and the Dead keep it . . .The way is shut. Now, you must die."

Legolas knew they were surrounded. He said a silent prayer to the Gods that Aragorn had a plan. He drew his bow and notched an arrow knowing it was a futile move, but every instinct was telling him to fight, to protect her.

Aragorn struggled to stop his desperation being heard in his voice. "I summon you to fulfil your oath!"

"None but the King of Gondor may command me!"

Anduril glittered in the gloom and when it collided with the spectral sword of the King of the Dead, it was not just the ghost that was shocked.

None, but Amy, could really have expected the power that sword would have in the hands of their friend despite all they knew of the expectations that lay on his head.

"It cannot be, that line was broken!" It was time for the King of the Dead to be fearful.

Legolas lowered his bow and holstered it on his quiver as Aragorn confronted the King. He took hold of Amy's hand as he felt the tension at a peak in the cavern.

"It has been remade! Fight for us and regain your honour! What say you?" Aragorn yelled. "What say you?!"

Amy could see that Gimli was talking but she had no will to concentrate on what he was saying. She wanted to hide, she wanted to disappear. For the second time since entering the darkness of this place she wanted to go home.

She felt the ground begin to shake, but before she could react Legolas had pulled her into a sprint.

…..


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty Eight

Despite the thick cloud the sunlight was almost blinding as the four of them finally exited the mountain after what seemed like an age. Gimli raised a gloved hand to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness. Amy basked in it though.

It was like a massive weight had been removed from her shoulders. The darkness had been suffocating, the light was freeing.

She looked down at herself. Her tunic and leggings had certainly seen better days. Her left arm was bloodied and bruised from the elbow down and as she tried to straighten it a shooting pain struck her from her fingertips to her shoulder. There was no time though to do more than just take stock.

She looked to Legolas first and watched as he lay a comforting hand on the shoulder of Aragorn. She followed their eyeline and saw it then. Black sails on the horizon.

Aragorn turned to her. All valour and strength gone from his face, replaced by despair. His hands rose and she knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to use those signs that she had taught him at Edoras. Signs to use when he had lost hope.

He did not make it past the first few words when he stopped abruptly and clutched his sword nervously. She followed his gaze once more and hurriedly backed away from the mountain when the King of the Dead appeared, his deathly countenance unchanged under the light of the sun.

"We will fight."

…..

Amy hated boats. Her inner ear function being completely misshapen as it was meant her balance was not great at the best of times. On a boat, her balance was non-existent. She leant heavily against the wooden wall of the cabin and slumped heavily to the floor burying her face in her knees lest she become nauseous with the swaying. She had tucked her left arm in against her body still refusing to move it.

"We should get whatever rest we can. We are sailing straight into battle." Aragorn advised still slightly in shock that he had succeeded in his mission to secure the Army of the Dead. His hope was rekindled and his muscles although weary knew that they could withstand another battle.

Gimli did not need telling twice and flopped onto the wooden cot in the corner of the cabin.

"I guess he will have the bed." Remarked Legolas wryly.

Aragorn patted his friend on the arm and looked over to Amy taking in the sight of her. With Gimli already asleep and Amy in her own silence the man had his first opportunity to talk to the elf alone.

"She told me, about you two."

"What about us two?"

"That you were sleeping together."

"Oh."

"Oh? You do not just get to say oh! One minute you are terrified that she will never speak to you again, the next you are sleeping together, and then forgive me if I am wrong but something has changed in the way she looks at you."

Legolas bowed his head not sure what to say. "You said it yourself, we are heading straight into battle, do you really want to hear this now."

"I will get no rest, not when surrounded by ghosts. I am your friend, I would hear this."

Legolas smiled, a beautiful memory coming to the forefront of his mind. "She told me she loved me."

Aragorn could not help but smile widely in return. "Please tell me you finally told her how you feel then?!"

"Of course! I may be slow but I am not an idiot! I told her first not expecting her to feel as I did, but… she had the opportunity to go home, and she did not. She chose to stay, because of me. Because she loved me."

Aragorn looked over to Amy who was still lost in her reverie. He saw the blood that had dried into her sleeve, the tears on her clothes, wounds of the body and perhaps also of the mind. He had felt the fear radiating off of her when they had been plunged into darkness.

"I hope that she does not regret her decision."

Legolas' face changed in an instance and Aragorn carried on hurriedly trying to correct his clumsy words.

"I do not mean that she does not love you, I mean, look at her. Who would want to be in the middle of this?! Most people of our world will not see a quarter of the things she has seen, and she is not even from here. You have told me of her world, there are no Orcs, no ghouls, no dark magic. She must be terrified."

Legolas also looked at Amy and he noticed that her hands were trembling. He swiftly knelt before her and placed a gentle hand over hers.

She looked up and her eyes were wide and fearful and her skin was slightly grey. He could see she was working hard to keep herself together and silently he wished he had taken better care of her on their last path.

Aragorn also knelt before her and took note of her countenance. "Not a fan of sailing?"

Legolas signed the man's words and spoke her reply.

" _Is it still called sea sickness when you are sailing on a river?"_

Aragorn smiled in response and then looked at her arm with a concerned look.

She knew that look. That was a look that meant he wanted to prod and poke at her wounds. She knew it was futile to resist him and Legolas was already raising that eyebrow of his that brokered no arguments.

Aragorn tried to roll up her sleeve but when she winced he stopped. He supported her arm with one hand and cupped the elbow joint with the other. He tried to hold it steady as his fingers pressed and explored, but the swaying of the boat made it impossible. With every movement he could see the pain flash through her.

"The elbow joint is not aligned properly, but I can't treat it here. He placed her arm back in her lap then ripped a long strip from the bottom of his tunic. "I am going to need to secure it."

Before Legolas could even begin to translate Amy snatched her arm away doing her best to ignore the pain.

" _Amy stop, you are hurt."_

" _I don't want a sling."_

" _You need to keep it still."_ Legolas tried to grab hold of her arms when he had finished signing but stopped when he realised why she was resisting.

"Aragorn, if you put that on her, she won't be able to sign."

The man stopped. Legolas was right. It would be like gagging her.

"It will get worse if I don't."

 _"Amy, I get it, it's okay. I'm giving you a choice. You let Aragorn secure your arm and we will figure out some one-handed signs together, or we leave your arm for now risking further injury."_

She did not think much of the choice but it was comforting that he knew why she had struggled against them without having to tell him.

Finally, she offered the offending arm back to Aragorn and he quickly secured the arm to her chest.

"If… when…we defeat the forces at Gondor. You are going to come to the halls of healing with me and we are going to sort that arm out straight away. No arguments"

Amy wrinkled her nose as Legolas translated Aragorn's words to her.

Aragorn smiled slightly and wished he could give his friends some time alone before the battle ahead. Instead he followed Amy's earlier movement and slumped against the wood, resting his head against it and closing his eyes, hoping that perhaps a few moments of quiet would give bolster his fighting edge.

" _Amy? Are you…"_ He knew it was a stupid question so stopped before he finished it. _"Perhaps you should get some sleep. It has been a while since I saw you sleep properly."_

It was true. In the days before they left Rohan she would sleep in restless patches between their other nocturnal activities.

She raised her right hand and tried to string some half signs together _, "I can't."_

" _You do not seem to be sleeping anywhere."_

He watched her as she roughly shoved her hair away from her face, only for it to fall back into her eyes. She wanted to reach for the hairband on her wrist and tie her hair back but knew that with one hand that would be a futile activity.

As if reading her mind Legolas reached out his hand and gently pulled the band for her wrist.

He pulled her to him, manipulating her body so that she sat between legs. Gently he begun to comb her hair through with his fingers.

It was calming and tender. Deftly he begun to work a thick but intricate braid from above her left ear diagonally down to the nape of her neck and then over her right shoulder.

When he was done, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and then pulled her round and lifted her so that she was tucked in his lap.

" _Try and sleep."_ Legolas signed and stroked his hand down her face. She shut her eyes and rested her head against his chest. The soothing feel of his chest moving up and down and his hand that ran up and down her back lulled her into a relaxed state. She was exhausted but she did not want to sleep. Her dreams had been haunted ever since Helm's Deep, and despite the days gone past she found they were just getting worst.

She would see his face as the blood drained from his body. The boy that died in the Keep. She did not even know his name. And now the faces of the dead would no doubt follow her for a while.

…..

"It will not be long now." Aragorn remarked.

"Well my axe is ready Aragorn, you have no need to worry about that!" Gimli smiled grimly.

"I have no doubt of that."

Legolas looked at Amy. She had finally fallen asleep and he had placed her on the wooden cot as soon as Gimli had vacated it. He had been persuaded to get up after a none too gentle shove from Aragorn.

Aragorn followed the gaze of his friend and saw the worry on his face. Aragorn did not think he could bear the thought of Arwen in the middle of this fight, and she knew how to wield a sword better than most. Amy though, Amy could just about hold a sword, and that was when she had two hands.

"She cannot go out there." The man finally said and Legolas looked at him sharply.

"No she cannot." He agreed.

"Perhaps she could stay on board. Hide here until the battle is won or lost." Gimli added but knew that was not a winning idea as Legolas shot him a look.

"Yes because hiding worked so well for her in Helms Deep!" Legolas had now begun to pace. "And if we lose, then what? She waits to be discovered and then…" He could not finish his sentence.

"That is not going to happen." Aragorn walked over to his friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, just as the elf had done for him earlier. "We will not lose and she will be safe."

"How can you know that?"

"Because I trust her. I trust that she has seen a better future for us. Plus, she is not going to be here alone."

Legolas looked at Aragorn quizzically.

"You are going to stay."

"What?"

"You are going to stay here and guard her."

"Aragorn. I…I swore an oath. I will not desert you now."

"You are not deserting me. When we break the battlefield, Orcs will flee. They will flee towards these ships and I do not want even one of them to make it out alive. You will stay with the ships and kill every last one of them."

Aragorn was firm whilst showing Legolas the greatest kindness.

"I can do that." The elf nodded.

Aragorn smiled and then sighed. "It is time for me to go up to the deck, Gimli, perhaps you will join me?"

The dwarf followed the man out of the cabin dutifully but not before giving the elf a cheeky wink.

Legolas sat beside her on the bed. He did not want to wake her but he could see her stirring in her sleep, her eyes moving rapidly behind her eyelids. Her right hand was bunched into a fist and every so often her head would toss back and forth.

He stroked her hair softly to try and soothe her but as soon as his fingers touched her, her eyes shot open and her stormy grey seas met his calm blue waters.

She tried to pull herself up, trying to shake the image of her dream away. She looked around glad that Aragorn and Gimli had not been there to witness her restlessness.

" _Do you want to tell me about it?"_ Legolas asked.

She shook her head.

" _You do not need to get up yet. You can rest a bit more."_

She shook her head again and he relented by helping her sit up. "I need to be ready." She spoke silently.

" _You are as ready as you need to be, you will not be going out there."_

Amy furrowed her brow. _"I am not just waiting here, I cannot just wait here!"_ Her left hand few up out of the sling and the only sign of her pain was the paling of her skin _._

" _And you cannot go out there carrying a sword that you can barely lift."_

" _No, you do not understand. I cannot just sit here and wait. What if someone comes? I won't hear them and then what?"_

The memory of the Uruk Hai's tongue running up her face made her feel bile rise in her throat.

"Amy. Stop." Legolas interrupted, grabbing her shoulders."I am not leaving you. Not this time."

"What?"

He spoke slower this time, "I am staying with you. You are right, you are no safer here on your own than out there amongst an army."

"But you can't stay here, you have to go out there, you have to fight. Aragorn needs you!"

Legolas' lip reading was nowhere near as good as hers and he struggled to decipher what she had said. This was ridiculous he thought, if only she would just speak to him.

He took hold of her face and stared deep into those grey eyes. He longed for a moment when they could just speak together.

What could he do? Lock her in this cabin to stop her doing something stupid? He doubted that she would ever forgive him. Try and reason with her? That could take an age.

She watched as his expressive eyes flitted around. She knew he was deep in thought. Amy did not want to fight, she did not want to sleep nor think.

She could not resist. She wanted comfort so she leaned forward and seized his lips with hers. It was an almost instant reaction when Legolas' hands dropped from her face and wrapped around her waist.

He could not deny how light his heart felt when he stopped worrying and just let himself feel her, and he could feel her desperate need for relief.

Amy pulled the collar of his tunic wanting him to join her on the wooden cot and he obliged willingly.

Despite the now heated blood that pulsed through his veins he remained aware of her injuries and he took care not put any of his weight on her even as their hips ground together.

They both knew that what they were doing was foolish. They were in the middle of a war, on a ship full of the Dead. But this was their way of healing wounds, of bridging the gap between them, and as Amy felt him enter her, the pain, the exhaustion and the fear melted away.

Her free hand gripped the cushion behind her head and her back arched as she felt that familiar knot of ecstasy tightening within her. She could see her name on his lips as he filled her and she found herself wondering what she would give to hear that, just once.

All Legolas could hear was the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears as he lost himself deeper and deeper in her.

As his head dipped allowing his mouth to find her neck Amy found her release her hand now burying roughly in his hair.

It did not take long for Legolas to follow her as every muscle of hers tightened around him.

"I love you." It was breathless but she understood what he had said.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Amy had refused to stay below deck. She had reminded Legolas that staying in that cabin alone was like taking her sight away and she had had quite enough of that for one lifetime after the Paths of the Dead.

With no way of making her understand or locking her up he had dutifully found a positon on deck where she could remain behind cover and yet keep an eye on him.

Aragorn had been right, Orcs did try and flee via the ships, and Legolas stopped them in their tracks. When he had run out of arrows, he drew his knife and pounced on them with cat like grace.

Despite her earlier protestations of being left below, Amy suddenly felt the need to look away. As soon as the blood began to pour from their lifeless bodies she remembered the feeling of the knife that had torn at her skin; she remembered the crushing force on her windpipe from Boromir's hands; and the dizzying blow of being struck round the face by the mercenary in Edoras. It was enough violence to leave an impact for a lifetime.

Her thoughts could not help but stray back to her mum. Had she suffered horrendous pain, would she have been terrified, did she know she was going to die? Amy felt the familiar anger bubble inside her, an anger that came from not loss but theft. She did not lose her mum, her mum was stolen from her. Stolen in a violent way that stripped her mum from the world and away from a daughter who so needed her direction. 'Now more than ever,' she thought.

Perhaps after the war she would feel different, when the violence had died down, when she did not have to see anymore dead bodies. Perhaps then she could truly feel more confident in her choice.

…..

Battle debris, the bodies of the dead and the circling of the crows. That was all that she could see.

She paid no attention as Aragorn released the Army of the Dead from his service, their oath finally fulfilled. Instead, she walked amongst those who had only just fallen.

Legolas kept his distance but followed. He knew now that she was in pain, more pain than he had first realised. He took for granted that he had been trained for war and trained to kill, and although it had taken time to get used to death, he knew he would be able to forget the faces of the dead eventually. He feared it would not be so easy for her.

There were cries across the field as friends and family found the bodies of those that they loved. She did not hear the anguished roar from Eomer as he came across his sister's body, but she saw his face.

Amy knew that Eowyn would be injured but that she would defeat the Witch King and live. But as she watched Eomer clutch at her broken body she suddenly felt a swell of guilt. She had encouraged the shield maiden to fight, and whilst Amy had been hiding on a ship, Eowyn had been fighting for her life. It was a similar feeling she had felt before when Boromir had been killed. She felt wretched and cowardly, and she sunk to her knees. It was then she saw him.

She scrambled back up and crossed the ten feet in front of her. 'Oh god.'

His face had lost its trademark smile and his eyes stared widely into the void. A thick black arrow was buried deep into his chest, a direct hit to his heart. "No." She whispered as she knelt down. "No."

Legolas was swiftly by her side and looked at the dead man. He had no idea who the man was but it was clear that Amy did.

Legolas reached out and closed the man's eyelids as a mark of respect. There was nothing more that could be done for him. _"Who is he?"_ He finally asked.

She tore the sling off and shakily signed _. "He, he is… was…Dannor."_ Her eyes blurred with yet more tears _. "His wife, she is deaf, she is…oh god."_

She stood hurriedly and moved away as she felt the sick rise from her stomach.

When she was done Legolas pulled her to him and held her as she sobbed. Her body was racked with them but she still stayed silent.

When she pulled away she could not help but look back at Dannor. She could not fathom how Esther would deal with this cruel blow. Amy felt a sudden need to go back to Rohan, to help the woman that had become her friend.

" _Esther, she will need me, she will need help. I should go to Edoras."_

Legolas nodded but his signs were more hesitant. " _Now is not the time for decisions._ _Come, it is not good for you to be out here any longer."_

" _No, I cannot just leave him here on his own!"_

" _His people will take care of him."_

" _His people? We are his people! You would have fought with him at Helms Deep, we would have ridden into this battle with him if we had not taken the Paths of the Dead. He…"_ Her anger subsided. _"He ate the last of the peanut butter."_

Legolas took hold of her again. He desperately wanted to get her away from the battlefield, away from all this death but he knew she would fight him. He was determined to win this time.

" _There is nothing you can do Amy, not like this."_ He gestured to her arm. _"There will be days ahead when you will be able to help, but not today, not now. That's enough."_

She could not argue with him, perhaps she had run out of the strength to. Nor did she argue when he led her into the Halls of Healing.

Legolas knew that Aragorn would have time for Amy, despite the attention that was needed elsewhere. He caught the man's eye when entering and Aragorn nodded for him to take her over to an empty bed whilst he finished what he was doing.

The shield maiden before him was deathly pale but he knew a strong and stubborn heart beat inside of her. When he had done everything he could for her he gave Eomer a nod and left them alone.

In truth he was glad to leave Eowyn. Amy was not the only one that carried guilt over what had happened to her and the sight of her was getting too much to bear.

"It is about time we got you cleaned up." Aragorn remarked.

Amy just nodded listlessly and Aragorn looked over to Legolas with a furrowed brow.

"Someone she met in Edoras died." The elf said simply.

Aragorn nodded and returned his gaze to Amy taking a good look at her.

She had no new injuries that he could see but he noted her leggings and the bottom of her tunic were caked in blood. It would do her no good to sit in the blood of others. He fetched a clean blanket and when Legolas' returned with some warm water he asked him to help.

"That tunic is going to need to come off."

There was little privacy where they were, but there was no room anywhere else.

Legolas nodded, he held the blanket up, but then realised that was pointless as she looked at him confused. Even now he was still getting his movements mixed up. He tossed the blanket over his shoulder to free his hands.

" _You need to take off that tunic."_

She raised a brow. _"I am not sure this is the place."_

A small pink flush stained his cheeks and Amy could not help but smile a little despite everything.

" _Are you flirting with me?"_ Legolas replied. He was pleased to see that there was still a little bit of her spark left.

Her smile widened but it did not quite reach her eyes.

"Am I interrupting something?" Aragorn commented wryly.

Legolas held the blanket back up shielding her from everyone. She dutifully pulled her tunic and undershirt up over her head, and tossed them into a pile along with her leggings.

She was not in the habit of standing around in her underwear so was relieved when Legolas wrapped the blanket round her, under her arms, to give her some cover.

Aragorn took the bowl of water and dipped a clean rag in it. Slowly he bathed all the grime and blood from the skin round her neck and chest, down her arms and then finally her face. She thought briefly on the intimacy of it. It had been a long while since someone had taken care of her like this when she had been at home.

She remembered when she was little and had the flu. Her mum had sat with her all night, applying cold flannels to her head and rubbing menthol on her temples and chest. It was nice to be looked after especially when she had been looking after herself for so long.

"These stitches look ready to come out." He pointed to the black thread that marred her skin.

She knew what he meant and just nodded, too tired to do anything else. Legolas sat beside her and took hold of her hand.

It was uncomfortable and stung, a couple burned as they slid out, but it was nothing compared to when he had last attended to the injury.

When Aragorn was done he bathed her chest once more and looked the wound over. It was still bright red with spots of purple. The skin was shiny and looked thin but this was a good sign. New skin was growing, it was healing, and there was no sign of infection.

He smiled at her. "It will heal nicely."

She raised a hand placing it over her chest still self-conscious about it. It felt good though, to be rid of the stitches.

Legolas opened her bag and pulled out her white t shirt. He knew it was the item of clothing she turned to when she felt like this. He helped her pull it over her head, taking care when pulling her left arm through the arm hole. It was obvious to all though that something needed to be done.

"How bad is the pain?"

Amy just shrugged her shoulders. It was horribly painful. She knew something was wrong with her arm the minute it happened and since then she had just held her arm against her and hoped for the best.

"Nod if you can feel this?" Aragorn waited for Legolas to translate and then began to slowly pinch the skin on Amy's arm from the shoulder down to her fingers.

She nodded with every pinch.

"That's a good sign."

With one hand he supported her arm and with his other he slowly and as gently as possible began to massage and manipulate the arm at the elbow.

He could not miss the grimace on Amy's face nor the tears that formed in her eyes.

Finally he stopped and looked at Legolas. "It is not fully dislocated but the joint is not aligned properly. There does not seem to be any other damage apart from some bruising and swelling which will go down."

"What can we do?"

"I can try and realign the joint but," He looked back and Amy who was trying to follow the conversation, "It's going to hurt."

Legolas would have winced if he knew Amy was not studying his face closely. When he had been an elfling he had gotten into some trouble with a horse that had a wild nature. He had been thrown from it and had dislocated his shoulder. He did not remember the pain but he did remember the howl that escaped his lips when the healers had reset it.

" _Your elbow joint is not sitting correctly."_

" _Just say it, this is going to hurt."_

" _This is going to hurt, a lot."_

She blew out a long breath.

There was no witty remark, no humour to try and cover up the fear she felt. The storm in her eyes did not rage. She looked defeated.

"I need you to relax and take some deep breaths. I am going to free the joint then reset it. You will feel two sharp movements."

Aragorn waited for Legolas to translate once again and watched for her reaction. She looked pleadingly at him, as if he could change his mind and fix her arm another way.

"Legolas I am going to need you to hold her still. She is going to want to pull her arm away after the first movement. Brace her shoulders against the wall."

Aragorn had done this procedure a number of times on knees, shoulders, elbows and hips, but only on rangers. Hardy, swarthy rangers that gritted sticks between their teeth and swore like sailors.

" _It's going to be okay. I am right here."_ Legolas tried to soothe her but could see it was not working. He did as Aragorn had asked and wrapped a strong arm round her upper body pushing her against the wall. He placed his other hand behind her head turning her face towards his. "I love you." The words were silent and she read them on his lips.

"I know." Was her silent reply.

While she was momentarily distracted Aragorn had taken hold of her arm and moved his hands into the right position. "I'm ready." he said finally.

The whole hall of healing heard it. A harsh scream followed by sobbing. When Aragorn then reset the joint the scream was slightly more muffled as Amy buried her face in Legolas' shoulder and bit down.

She had not passed out although she wished she had. Aragorn wrapped her arm tightly and put it back into a sling. She remained as still as she could, trying to breathe back the tears that were still falling.

"Here drink this."

She did not argue or ask any questions, she just took the flask from him and downed the drink. It was not long before she was asleep.

"Was that necessary." Legolas asked.

"She would not have slept without it. Whatever happens now Legolas, we need to keep her away from death, away from suffering. I don't think she can take anymore." The man's voice was grave.

Legolas caught his tone. "I know. I should never have let her come with us. She should have returned to Edoras."

Aragorn looked across the hall over the platform where Eowyn lay. Legolas followed his gaze. "Something to learn about human women Legolas, when they have made up their mind, there will be no changing it."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

It was rare that she caught him sleeping.

It was still early, the sun had barely begun to break through the windows but there was just enough light to illuminate his face.

His eyes were closed. He had told her once before that elves slept with their eyes open, she could not help but tell him that that was weird. She wondered if that is why he had them shut now.

She looked down. She knew he must have brought her here. She was laying on her right side, her injured left arm strapped across her body awkwardly. She could see that she was still in her white t shirt and underwear. He had removed his own tunic and lay bare chested next to her, his right arm draped over her hip.

His chest moved slowly up and down and his lips were slightly parted, his breath steadily flowing in and out.

She wanted to reach out and touch him but was kind of trapped in their current position. Instead she satisfied herself by just studying him.

His eyelashes were long, longer than she had noticed before. They were dark also, like his eyebrows, in complete contrast to his hair. His eyebrows were drawn in slightly as if he was frowning.

She wondered if he was dreaming, did elves dream? Why wouldn't they? She realised then that she still knew very little about him, about his home, his customs. She had spilled her heart out to him, told him endless stories about her world, but she had got very little back.

It was not through lack of asking. She would ask at every opportunity but he would always turn her questions around, back to her, back to earth. He was endlessly curious about her world, and as she was becoming increasingly aware, she was not so curious about Middle Earth.

His eyes begun to flutter and she could not help but smile slightly when she was met with a slightly groggy elf.

"Good morning." She spoke silently hoping that he could read her lips in the low light.

He blinked a few times then raised his free hand from her hip and brushed her face tenderly. "Good morning."

Amy thought that this was one of those perfect moments. One of those moments you wished you could capture on camera, because the memory would never be as clear.

"Are you in any pain?" He asked slowly.

"I don't know, I haven't tried to move it. Maybe we can stay here, not moving all day." She hoped he could understand her silent words.

He smiled and his eyes moved rakishly down her body. "I don't think that would be possible."

She let out a little laugh.

"I wish you would do that more often."

She furrowed her brow.

He sat up so he could sign, _"I wish I could hear you more often."_

She cast her gaze back down and he instantly felt the shift in her mood. It was not as strong as usual though. She did not baulk immediately, instead fidgeting as if she was trying to sit up.

"Here." He helped her, placing some cushions behind her back when she was seated. He then slipped the sling off her arm and over her head. Aragorn had bound her arm with a splint in place that meant her elbow joint was fixed at an angle. He had told Legolas that ideally the sling should remain on for a couple of days but concurred that that was unrealistic. The splint would have to do.

Amy flexed her fingers and wrist. Instead of a sharp pain she just felt a bit sore. Aragorn had clearly done a good job.

" _Am I going to get told off?"_ She pointed at the discarded sling.

" _He can tell me off this time."_

She smiled. It felt so good to be in a proper bed, warm and comfortable and with him. It was like a shield against the death she had seen, the pain she had felt and the sorrow that lay on her heart.

" _I like your hair like that."_ He commented breaking her reverie.

She raised her uninjured arm and felt the braid that still held her hair together.

" _What elf magic is it that you can fix a braid that doesn't fall out, even when in bed?"_

He laughed. God, she loved it when he laughed. She could not even fathom what it would sound like, but she was sure it would be the most beautiful sound in the world.

" _Now that would be telling."_ He replied.

" _Oh I see, keeping secrets from me!"_ She teased, but could not help but notice the slight change in eyes. She felt the mood of the room shift and as it did her most pressing question came to the front of her mind. It seemed death was all she could think about at the moment.

" _Legolas, what happens to you, when…when I die?"_

His face dropped. _"Amy, we don't need to talk about this."_

" _Yes we do. Of course we do."_

" _Well does it have to be now?"_

" _When then? After the war? When I am an old lady?!"_

Legolas took a deep breath in frustration. She was right. There would never be a good time to discuss this, so why not now? _"I am not like Arwen."_ He began, knowing she would understand Arwen's choice from the books she had read. _"I cannot choose a mortal life. If you…when you die I will go on. My heart will break and I will live with that heart break for eternity. Some elves sail West to numb the pain, some cannot bear it at all and they just…fade."_

He looked at her now, eyes full of sorrow. _"I cannot think about this Amy because I cannot imagine my life without you anymore."_

" _I don't want that life for you."_ She signed honestly _. "I don't want you to be filled with grief for eternity. I understand grief, I don't want that for you."_

" _You do not get to decide that for me."_ He reached out and caressed her face. _"No more of this discussion now."_

" _Legolas, we need to…"_

He held a hand up. _"Amy, not now."_

She could see the resolved in his face. _"Stubborn elf."_ She signed playfully trying to lighten the move.

He smiled slightly. _"One of the few traits I get from my father."_

" _He must miss you."_

Legolas silently cursed himself. He had inadvertently turned the conversation from one sore topic to another. _"I guess so."_ He answered hesitantly.

" _You guess so? Surely he will be pleased to have you home when this is all over?"_

" _I think he may be a little angry first. He did not exactly envision me going on this quest."_

" _Surely he would be proud that you volunteered?"_

" _Proud?"_ Legolas let out a small scoff and he knew his voice would sound bitter if he spoke. _"I think disappointed."_

Amy reached out a hand and placed it on his knee. Legolas had not really spoken of his father before, she did not realise it was because their relationship was dysfunctional. _"Why would he be disappointed?"_

Now would have been the perfect time. The time to tell her the truth, to tell her what was waiting for him at home, what he had run away from.

" _I have not always been fulfilling in my duties as Prince."_ He said carefully.

" _You have forever to fulfil your duties."_

" _Not if I love you."_ He turned the topic back around to their earlier conversation and dived out of telling her the one last secret he kept.

" _I thought you did not want to talk about that."_

" _I don't. Let's not waste this morning with talk like this."_

" _The what should we waste the morning doing?"_

His face suddenly turned from doleful to roguish and she could not help but laugh again.

Despite the fresh desire that had made itself known he could not help himself once again, he had to ask.

" _What happened Amy? Why don't you speak?"_

For the first time in four years she did not feel the compulsion to run. She could feel her anxiety building and the tell-tale signs of her discomfort began; her teeth begun to worry her bottom lip, and her index fingers started to scratch at the skin of her thumbs.

Her mind began to play around with scenarios. If she could not tell him this, then who could she tell? If she did not ever tell him then would she remain silent for the rest of her life? Just because she told him why did not mean she would have to speak. He would understand why, and then stop pestering her about it, right? She looked hard at the curious elf in front of her. She was pretty sure his whole remit was pestering.

" _If I tell you, you have to promise me something, you have to promise me you will not ask to hear me speak."_

He did not answer immediately. He desperately wanted to hear her, so promising not to ask did not seem like something he could keep. However, if he knew why then perhaps that would curb his curiosity.

" _I promise."_

" _I hate my voice."_ She began, figuring that was as good a place to start as any.

" _Forgive me if this is a foolish question but, if you cannot hear, how can you hear your voice to hate it?"_

" _Because I have been told by many people that my voice is horrible, weird, I…"_ She bowed her head feeling the shame of old bite at her heals once more. _"As you said, I can't hear my voice so I guess I can't really talk properly, or how people would like me to sound…"_ She paused but this time he did not jump in with a question. _"It never used to bother me so much when I was younger, kids would call me all sorts of things, adults would jump out of their skins when they heard me talk like in a shop."_

She rubbed her hands over her face knowing that she was crying.

" _I brushed it off, I told myself that they were ignorant and that it did not matter… But it did matter. I remember every comment, every look, every stupid note that said I was not human. I carried on though until…"_

Legolas moved closer and put his hands on her knees, a gesture of strength and caring.

" _When my mum died, I just cried. Cried and cried in the hospital. I was sat on this awful brown chair in the corridor and I just could not stop. People just walked past me as if I was not there, they could not make eye contact with me. Finally, a doctor came by and he sat next to me. He put a hand on my back and just sat there, rubbing me on the back until I stopped. He then just patted me on the shoulder, got up and left."_

She felt a knot form in her stomach at the memory.

" _He walked down the corridor and a nurse stopped him. They did not realise I could lip read them. The nurse said, 'That was sweet of you.' He smiled and replied, 'I just wanted her to shut up, she sounded like a dying animal.' And they laughed. They were laughing so much that they did not even notice me walk by them to leave."_

" _Why would he say that, that is cruel?!"_

" _Because it is true! That is why I don't want you to hear me speak, what he said is true. I sound like a fucking animal!"_

Her hands pounded together as they signed as the anger and hurt coursed through her. He felt the rage also, he wished somehow he could have been there and protected her despite that being impossible.

" _I do not accept that Amy, but I will keep my promise. That man said something so hurtful and when you were at your most vulnerable, he should not get to win and silence you!"_

" _It is my decision."_

" _Amy. I love you, more than I ever thought I could love anyone. As I said, I will not ask, but if you ever want to talk, please trust in me that I would love your voice as well."_

He had heard her whisper, he had heard her laugh, he had heard her moan in pleasure and cry in pain. He had not heard her talk, not properly.

She knew that he meant what he said, but it was easy to say something like that when you did not know what to expect. She loved the way he looked at her, the regard he held for her, and she was sure that if she spoke a piece of that regard would fall away.

...

A/N: Thank you to everyone that is reading, following and reviewing. I know there have been issues with the notifications going out alerting to new chapters so a special thank you to those who have been looking out for new chapters and reviewing!

Finally, I just wanted to take a moment to mention that the story Amy tells in this chapter about her experience in the hospital and what the doctor says is actually based on a true story that happened to someone who is deaf that is very close to me. If you happen to know any deaf people make sure they know their voices are valued and beautiful!


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty One

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight. The darkness is deepening."

Gandalf turned away from high arched windows and looked at the group he had assembled in the throne room.

Gimli sat in the old steward's chair puffing away on his pipe and uncaring for the sanctity of the seat he sat upon.

Eomer stood, tapping his foot impatiently, urging himself not to pace.

Aragorn and Legolas stood together, they had been in quiet conversation before Gandalf had spoken aloud.

Finally, there was Amy, she stood a few feet away from the group. Her eyes were fixed on the wizard. He could see the pain that lingered in them but he could still see her inner strength.

Aragorn was the first to offer any response. "If Sauron had the Ring, we would know it."

This went to the heart of what troubled Gandalf. "It is only a matter of time. He has suffered a defeat, yes, but behind the walls of Mordor our enemy is regrouping."

"Let him stay there! Let him rot. Why should we care?" Gimli remarked loudly.

"Because Gimli, ten thousand Orcs stand between Frodo and Mount Doom." The wizard now seemed to crumple slightly. In a whisper he said, "I have sent him to his death."

Sad old eyes met Amy's, and for the first time the wizard looked to the girl for courage.

It was not Amy though that came to his aid, but Aragorn. "No. There is still hope for Frodo. He needs time and safe passage across the Plains of Gorgoroth. We can give him that."

"How?" Gimli put his pipe down, now listening intently.

"Draw out Sauron's armies, empty his lands. Gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate."

"We cannot achieve victory from strength of arms." Eomer stepped forward.

Aragorn now looked at Amy. He felt this was the right move, he had not asked her, but somehow he knew this was the right decision. He could not see how they would survive but when he looked at her he still saw hope. "Perhaps not, but we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves."

"A diversion." Legolas clarified and Aragorn nodded.

Gandalf seemed doubtful. "Sauron will suspect a trap. He will not take the bait."

"Oh I think he might." Aragorn smiled a little.

"Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?!" Roared Gimli.

Aragorn could not help but laugh a little. "We will need time to gather the men, regroup and redistribute the weapons. There will be some that will not wish to follow us; we shall remind them of their oaths but we shall not force them. We leave at first light tomorrow. I suggest we all get some rest."

…..

She had left Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf to it, returning to her room hoping that, as Aragorn had suggested, she would find some rest.

She felt weary from all that had passed. She wondered if any amount of sleep could revive her tired bones.

Perhaps, it was not sleep that would renew her, but something else. Just the thought of Legolas' hands on her skin made her heart beat with a new vigour. She had crawled back into her bed still able to smell him on her sheets. It was like a comforting balm.

She knew he would come to her later. They would both want to spend time with each other before this crucial battle. A battle, that finally, she would be staying well away from. There was no reason she should go, no reason at all. Even if she had wanted to go, which she absolutely did not, none of them would have let her.

She stretched out the fingers of her injured arm and she knew that she had had her fill of war for a lifetime.

Her battle was over and now what lay ahead was mostly a mystery. She now knew what choice she had to make. Ithilian or Gondor. Legolas would surely settle in Ithilian as was written, but she was hesitant still to just follow him and live amongst the elves. Gondor was relatively nearby and would allow her to live amongst humans, find a job and try and carve out a normal life. Maybe she could find some healing here amongst the resilient humans of Middle Earth. She did not think Legolas would be entirely happy with this arrangement but something did not sit right with her to live out her mortal life surrounded by the immortal.

Before any of that though, she was resolved to go to Edoras. She would return to the Golden Hall with Eomer and Eowyn and she would be there for Ester for as long as the woman needed her.

News would not have reached her deaf friend yet but with messengers sent out this morning Amy knew it would only be a few days before Ester's world crumbled.

It made her sick to the stomach thinking about it and she felt a cold shiver run down her body.

Could she bear it, if it was Legolas?

Feeling chilled she drew her blanket around her and left her bed, settling instead on the thick fur rug that lay by the fire in her room.

Could Legolas bear it, when she inevitably died?

Her thoughts rounded back to a fundamental question that had plagued her ever since he told her he loved her. Could she let him love her, and let him suffer her death?

…...

"I usually get sick before a battle." Aragorn admitted. "This time however, I feel strangely calm." Legolas listened to his friend as they walked out across the courtyard that stretched out along Minas Tirith's spine like the prow of a ship. "Perhaps it is because I know this will be my last battle. In whichever way it ends."

"It is bad luck to consider death before a battle." Legolas warned.

Aragorn smiled. "Perhaps for an elf. We humans consider death every day!" The man did not fail to notice the anguish that flashed on his elven friend's face. "I am not the first human to bother you with death today am I?"

Legolas looked far out into the distance, further than anyone else in Gondor could see. "Amy wanted to know what happens to me, when she dies."

Aragorn bowed his head. "That is a familiar question, one I have asked myself to the elf that I love. How did you answer?"

"I told her the truth."

"Good. She deserves to know the truth."

"How did you feel? When you knew what fate Arwen had chosen."

"Guilt." Aragorn answered without having to think. "And selfish. Like I had stolen something so beautiful from the world, so precious and that I would destroy it before ever giving it back."

"Is yours' a selfish heart?" Legolas muttered quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just something Gandalf once asked me. Is yours' a selfish heart?"

"That does sound like something Gandalf would say. What he perhaps does not know, despite his wisdom, is that all hearts in love are selfish. They want what they want, be damned with the consequences."

"Do you still feel that way, guilty?"

Aragorn sighed. "Every day. But it has never been enough to regret the love I have for her. Nor will it be enough to shun the love she wishes to give me." Aragorn had carried the feeling for a long time now that Arwen had left these shores, but his selfish heart still hoped that he was wrong and that she would return to him to live out his days together.

"You said she deserves the truth, but there is one more truth that I have not shared with her."

"You have not told her about your father's ultimatum, have you?" Aragorn knew his friend all too well by now.

Legolas just shook his head.

"Legolas, I do not know how tomorrow will end, but I do not doubt that whichever way the battle goes you shall live on. However, your time is running out. Do you really expect your father not to be knocking down these very doors in the coming weeks looking for you?"

"I would be surprised if he was not on his way already. He would have been gathering news of my whereabouts ever since I left for Imladris."

"You do not need to take my advice friend, and I can think of many better ways to spend the night before a battle, but do you really want to fight with this hanging over you?"

"I wish you were not right. I wish I was not a coward."

"She loves you Legolas. She will probably want to throttle you but she loves you."

Legolas nodded but he knew that if he got away with just being throttled that would be a good outcome.

…..

The fire's glow danced across her face, her features lit in golden light. Legolas took a breath. He had spent his life amongst the beauty of the elves and yet he had never been captured such as this in awe.

He knew it was time. Tomorrow he would fight his last battle in this war, and he knew not what lay ahead for him or for Middle Earth. She knew though. She knew his fate, she knew the fate of Middle Earth. But she did not know what would become of them. It was time to tell her the truth of what was expected of him should he survive.

As if she sensed him there she looked away from the fire to the door. He could see that she had been crying.

" _Amy?"_ He crossed the room and knelt beside her in front of the fire where she had curled up. He wanted to take her into his arms but he knew that if he held her his resolve would disappear. _"Amy, I need to tell you something."_

She could see the fear in his eyes and she had no idea why he was afraid. Suddenly she felt her own fear bubbling up.

It was a feeling so familiar to her though. Fear. Fear that stuck in her throat. The very fear that stopped her from talking.

All she could do was nod in response.

He did not want to sign anymore, he needed to tell her truthfully with his own words. "I cannot see how the battle tomorrow will end well for us, but I have enough hope that I will not turn away now."

He stopped waiting to see if she was following him. Her eyes were scrunched slightly in concentration and she nodded for him to continue.

"Amy if I survive, then there is something I have to do. I have to go home."

He wanted her to interject, do something, anything to give him more time but she did not. She just watched him carefully.

"I have to go home, and you cannot come with me."

Her concentration lifted and was replaced with confusion. _"I don't understand."_

Legolas lifted his hands and began to repeat his words, _"I have to go home, and you…"_

Now she interrupted. _"No I understand what you said, I don't understand why I cannot come with you."_

Legolas bowed his head feeling the shame wash over him as he saw the pain flicker in her eyes. Stormy grey eyes that now looked at him widely but still so full of hope.

" _I was never supposed to be here. I was certainly never supposed to fall in love with you."_

" _Legolas, what…"_

He ploughed on knowing that if he did not he would lose all courage. _"I told you that my father would want me home, that I had a duty to fulfil. I did not tell you what that duty was."_

She was still watching him when his hands stilled.

"I am to get married." His voice broke as he chose to speak the words.

He could not tell straight away if she understood him as her face became strangely blank.

" _Amy?"_

It was another moment before she blinked and he saw the moment it hit her.

" _Sign that."_ She demanded, wanting to know exactly what he had said, desperate for some nuance that would make it clear to her what he meant.

" _I am to get married. My father arranged it. He gave me a deadline to find someone to marry and I did not, so he arranged it."_

It was only slight but he saw that she had pulled back from him physically.

" _So you are with someone? There is someone waiting for you at home?"_

She saw his throat move in a visible gulp.

" _My father has chosen someone, they will be expecting me back. I am not with them though, not like you think."_

" _And what do I think Legolas?"_

" _I am going to fix this, I am going to go home and fix this and then we can be together, always."_

She eyed him coldly and her hands were firm and controlled. _"Why are you telling me this now? Only now?"_

" _I was scared. I have been falling in love with you from the minute I met you Amy. I did not want anything to ruin it."_

" _You have been lying to me from the moment you met me!" S_ uddenly her hands were not so firm and raw emotion shook through her body.

" _I did lie. I am coward but I love you Amy, I did not lie about that."_

Her heart was beating frantically, and her throat felt as if it was closing. There was a sickening weight in her stomach and all of her fears begun to shout at her accusingly in her head.

" _So what? I just wait here while you go home and sort things out? Or perhaps you will go home to your nice little life with your new wife and forget all about the idiot that kept you distracted throughout the war!"_

She stood now unable to bear the proximity to him.

Legolas followed suit quickly, desperate for her not leave, not like this.

She was not quite ready to leave yet though. Her back was turned to him and she did not want to look at him. How had it come to this? How had she ended up here?

She did the only thing left that she could do as the weight of all her feelings made itself known. "I don't belong here."

He heard it. Her voice croaked through years of under use but it was not a whisper. She spoke.

…...


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty Two

She did the only thing left that she could do as the weight of all her feelings made itself known. "I don't belong here."

He heard it. Her voice croaked through years of under use but it was not a whisper. She spoke.

"I don't belong here and I do not want to stay here. I have seen things that I never want to see again."

Her words sounded slurred to Legolas' ears, her speech pattern not following what to him was a normal rhythm. Her voice was low and throaty, and as the words came out she got louder, louder than was needed for the room they were in.

"I kept asking myself, what am I doing here? Then I thought I was here because of you. That we were meant to find each other. We both lost our mums, we both wanted a different life, and we were both looking for something. But there is no reason."

Her final words were so full of sadness as she turned finally and the tears fell.

"Who were we fooling? We don't belong together."

"No. Why are saying this." He spoke now but his hands moved also ensuring that she understood. "I should be with you. I looked for you for so long and now you are here! That means something!"

"What does it mean? I don't want to be here anymore! I should have gone home when I had the chance."

"Don't say that."

"Why not? It is true!"

It was a harsh sound. Almost a shriek and she saw the way his face flinched in reaction. It made her heart feel like it was breaking.

He tried to calm his own racing heart. He had seen the change in her over the last few days, and it stung to know that she regretted her decision.

"If you had gone," he began slowly, "we would never have known that we loved each other."

"Maybe that would have been for the best." She looked away again, she did not want to look at him. More than ever now she wanted to just go home, to be safe, to salvage whatever friendships she had left, forget everything she had seen, and forget about him.

He circled her, forcing her to listen to him. "You do not mean that. Are you so willing to give up? You told me you loved me, did you lie?!"

She shook her head, it was all she could manage for now. It was enough though and Legolas felt a small swell of relief. "Amy, I will go home, but not to marry. I will tell my father that I have found someone. That is what he wanted."

" _Even if that someone is a human?"_ She reverted back to signing. Her throat felt sore.

" _I will make him listen, I will make him understand."_

" _What is she like?"_

Legolas furrowed his brow confused about her question.

" _The elf you are supposed to be marrying. What is she like_?" She did not know why she was asking, inflicting more pain on herself.

Legolas did not want to answer but he also did not want to refuse her or lie.

" _She is the daughter of one of my father's counsellors."_

" _Is she beautiful?"_

'No lies.' He reminded himself. _"Yes, she is beautiful. She clever, if a little serious, and she is good. But she is not you. I don't want anybody else but you."_

Amy sat on the edge of the bed suddenly feeling exhausted. She was caught in a confusing conundrum. She was hurt, she had been lied to. She was insecure, he belonged with someone else. She wanted to go home, but she did not want to leave him, not really. Her heart wanted to believe that he would solve all her problems, her head told her to stop believing in fairy tales.

"Don't shut me out Amy." He knelt before her and spoke.

She looked hard at him. That perfect face, those expressive eyes, and a heart that beat strongly for her. An elf from a world that she did not belong in.

"I love you." She spoke and Legolas could not help the tears that formed in his eyes. She spoke those precious words to him and he knew he would not hear anything more beautiful.

"I cannot change the way I feel. But I can change what I do about it. You have changed my life, you have made me a better person, and you have smashed through all the walls I built. There is only one way I can thank you. I have to let you go."

"No." He shook his head. "Amy, no."

"I told you before, I do not want your life to be full of misery. I want you to live. I will die. You need to say goodbye to me before it is too late for you."

"It is already too late. I cannot live without you."

"Yes you can, I will learn to survive without you and you will learn to survive without me. You will fall in love again and you will live on as you are meant to."

"Meant to? Whatever it is you supposedly know about my future is wrong! My future is what I choose it to be, not what is written in some book!"

"This is not about the book. This is about me not being willing to let you give up everything."

"Don't do this. You cannot let me go if I refuse to go."

"You cannot pretend that nothing else matters, that you can run away with me and live happily ever after."

"I know this, but I can love you for all the years you are alive and beyond." He took hold of her hands knowing that she would no longer be silenced by him doing this. "Wait. Wait until this war is finally over, wait until I have spoken to my father. It is my choice what happens to my immortal life, just as it is your choice what to do with your mortal one. Do not take that choice away from me."

She could not argue with that. She felt horribly conflicted, could she be selfish and keep him, trap him in her misery of being here and let him suffer when she dies, or could she be selfless and let him go, make him go to save him.

Was hers' a selfish heart?

"I will wait." She said finally.

Legolas let out a huge breath of relief and he buried his face in her legs. She could see his shoulders shaking and felt the fabric of her leggings become wet from his tears.

She wanted to protect herself, to withdraw slightly in preparation for what she now believed was an inevitable hopeless future. She could not though. Not with him there, not with him hurting.

She ran her fingers through his hair sweeping the blond locks to one side. She then trailed her free hand down to his shoulders massaging gently hoping she could soothe him.

She felt it.

It was like the instant warmth your skin feels when you step out from the shade into the sun. That first glass of water when your mouth is dry. It was undeniable, unwavering and addictive.

He felt it too and looked up. They stared at each other for a little while. It had always been the way between them since the beginning. The best communication they did was not with words or signs but with looks and touch. The way they looked at each other held more truth than any words they exchanged. The feeling of being touched by the other gave away the depths of their feelings better than any sentence did, even those three precious words.

Legolas remained knelt at her feet but his hands begun to travel up her legs. The flutters of desire stirred in her stomach despite the hurt and confusion she felt.

She let him pull her by the waist into his lap and her legs wrapped around him in a move that felt so natural to her now.

Still there were no words as they rested their foreheads together taking in the feeling of the bond that they shared.

It was a sweet agony to just remain like that. Their bodies had already decided what they wanted, but hearts and minds were slower to convince.

Legolas held her tightly, tighter than she had ever felt him hold her before. It was like he was scared that she would disappear if he let her go. She found her grasp also clutching at him firmly, hoping that if they could just stay as they were then the world would melt away.

When Amy finally opened her eyes, she found herself looking into deep blue pools.

Legolas was the first to move, crushing his lips against hers, one hand tangling in her hair, the other pulling her hips towards his.

Her reaction was instant and her tongue demanded entrance as she pulled at his tunic.

There was a desperation to their movements initially as Legolas stood swiftly, carrying her to the bed, never letting their bodies come apart. He dropped his lips to her neck, kissing her hard enough to leave a mark. His hands were making quick work of the fastenings on her clothing but as he heard her moan deeply he willed himself to calm down and slow his movements.

His heart was racing, not just from the passion that coursed in his blood, but from the fear and anxiety that had come from their conversation. He had felt her slipping away and knew that his earlier words were true. It was too late from him, there would be no learning to survive.

Amy felt the change in him as his lips softened and begun to tenderly make their way to her throat. His ministrations were almost unbearably slow as he opened the front of her tunic and undershirt and let his mouth follow the bare skin down.

It felt as if his lips and tongue were setting little fires wherever they touched and her body refused to be stilled as she pushed against him.

He paused only to pull his own tunic off so that he could feel her skin against his, and as soon as the clothing lay discarded on the floor he returned to his path. It was as if he was committing every inch of her skin to memory.

He knew he was pushing his luck torturing her like this as an unwieldy foot kicked him in the side as she strained and strove for a more solid touch.

He pulled her leggings and underwear down together and stopped to look at her. Her face was flushed from his attentions and slight embarrassment as he stared at her, taking her all in. The tanned skin, the curves, the bruises and scrapes from her time here, the red marks that he had left with his teeth; the tight bandage that was strapped around her left arm.

She could see the trepidation in his face. He was scared that this was it, that this was the last time that they would be together like this. She shared his fear.

"Legolas." Her voice shook but her heart leapt at the slight smile that graced his face hearing his name on her lips. "Don't hold back."

They were the same words she had used back in Edoras, the first time they had lain together, the only difference now was that she spoke them. Whatever she may have thought of her voice due to years of cruel words he did not share her opinion. Yes it may have been different, and yes it had taken him by surprise but it was hers.

He gently pulled her legs apart and settled between them bending over her body so that their faces were inches apart. He held himself up on his arms though still mindful not put any weight on her arm. "Amin melanin." He whispered and she remembered those words from before.

He dropped his head and left kiss after kiss on her neck as he entered her. He felt her back arch into him and her legs clamp around his hips.

He savoured the feeling and prayed to the Valor that this would not be the last time he joined with her. He knew what he wanted, he wanted to make her his wife.

…


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty Three

Part of her did not want to see them off. She felt like a coward for lingering behind as she watched Merry and Pippin put on their helms.

She knew though that she could not face another battle, and in this one there was no hiding place.

The hobbits were first to say goodbye to her. She held them both in a hug and hoped that all she knew for them would come true. She did not know what they said as they spoke so quickly but she did see Merry give Pippin's shoulder a squeeze as the younger wiped a tear away.

Gimli also struggled with his emotions, repeatedly patting Amy's hand only to then wander off before coming back and patting her hand once more. She wished she could tell him that he would be alright and that she would see him when he got back but knew that was not actually helpful.

When he returned for the fourth time she bent down and grabbed him in a hug. His armour dug into her skin and his beard was uncomfortable on her face but she did not care and hugged him that bit tighter.

When she released him she could not help but sign, _"See you later."_ Knowing that the now red faced dwarf would not understand.

The arrival of Gandalf who walked in step with his faithful friend Shadowfax gave Gimli the perfect reason to shuffle off and compose himself.

" _Well my dear."_ Gandalf begun. _"It has been a long road to this point, hasn't it?"_

" _The longest I have taken_." She replied.

" _I suppose you are hoping I have some lesson for you, some riddle that perhaps makes a few things clearer for you?"_

Amy knew better than that now. _"Actually Gandalf, I think I will figure the rest out for myself if that's okay?"_

The wizard smiled. _"Well I must say I am a little disappointed. What is the point of an old wizard like me if I have no wisdom to pass on?!"_

Amy returned the smile. _"I am sure you are full of wisdom Gandalf. It is just that I have to rely on my own wisdom this time."_

" _Very well."_ Gandalf's face now turned mischievous despite the impending battle. _"You have certainly come a long way my dear since the hospital."_

Amy's eyes narrowed instantly _. "The hospital? But you said you had not been there."_

" _I said I had not been there yet."_

Perhaps she was not done with his riddles. _"But you have now?"_

He nodded simply.

" _When? How?"_

" _Last night I took a little trip. Perhaps he wanted me to see you before the battle, see you as you once were, before…"_ He stopped and mumbled something to himself.

Amy did not know where to start with that and looked at him, her mouth slightly agape.

" _Anyway, this war is not yet over for me and I must ready myself. Goodbye my dear and safe travels."_ He rested a hand on her shoulder and bowed his head slightly.

She wanted to call him back as he walked away. Why would he leave her with information like that, what did he mean safe travels? 'Bloody wizards!' She thought to herself. What had felt clear to her this morning did not feel quite so clear now.

She turned away in frustration only to be met by Aragorn. It seemed they were all queuing up to see her this morning.

" _You look angry."_ His signs were still not perfect but they translated.

She looked back at Gandalf and Aragorn knew only too well the frustration of a conversation with a wizard.

" _Thank you."_ He continued. _"Thank you for everything."_ When his signs ran out he began to speak slowly. "Your hope has always been a comfort, and I want to fight for what you have seen."

Her anger melted away. There were more important things to worry about now than Gandalf's riddles.

There was nothing really much for her to say and she knew that he would not really understand her signs. She summoned up the courage she did have and as she hugged him she spoke quietly.

"Go finish this Aragorn."

He stiffened in surprise and then in celebration he picked her up and swung her around. She was not expecting that and could not help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

He put her down and smiled widely, something she had not seen before.

"I will see you soon." He spoke clearly and she nodded knowing that a nod technically was telling him something. "Go easy with the elf eh?" He finished with his own nod towards his friend who begun lurking in the vicinity.

She followed the man's gaze and saw Legolas there. He looked hesitant so rather than wait for him she approached him first.

" _It feels strange not to be following you."_

" _It will be strange not having you with me. Although I will definitely be less worried."_ He reached out once he had finished signing to tuck some hair behind her ear.

" _No distractions for this battle."_

He smiled. _"No distractions,"_ but the smile faded quickly. _"Amy, you will wait for me, won't you?"_

She took his hands and spoke. "I will wait."

He did not care where they were or who saw as he pulled her in and took her mouth with his. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed him in.

She did not hear the whoops of the men around them, or Pippin's confused question to Merry, "Did you know about this?"

When the kiss broke Legolas smiled at the sight of Amy's flushed cheeks. He held her face softly in his hands and his eyes darted across her features taking every detail in.

Amy tried to compose herself knowing that all around them stared at the odd human and strange elf. It was impossible though, not with him stood right there, not with how he was looking at her.

Eventually he had no choice but to leave lest he be left behind.

" _Come back safe okay?"_ She signed.

" _I will. I will come back to you."_ He saw the anxiety in her face and he knew why she worried. _"Do not give up on us Amy. I love you."_

" _I love you too."_

…..

It was the not the first time she had been alone whilst being in Middle Earth, however, it was the first time she found herself with nothing to do. She had tried to help in the kitchens but they had shooed her away; she had tried to make herself useful in the Halls of Healing but she just felt like a nuisance.

The bakery on the second level had been reduced to rubble so it would be a long while before she could find any sort of job there.

It seemed that every time she tried to help someone they would just bow to her and attempt to tell her not to worry. She had a feeling that her association with Aragorn had something to do with this. She was also beginning to suspect that he had something to do with the young girl that kept appearing and offering her assistance and telling her to rest.

After two days of staring out over Pelennor and visiting Eowyn she was beginning to feel like a bit of a spare part, especially when Faramir had taken a shining to the shieldmaiden. And, although she did not like to admit it, she did not have the courage to hang around for too long when Faramir was there lest he ask her too many questions about his brother.

On her fourth day of wandering the streets of the White City she was strong armed back to Halls of Healing by a tiny but deceptively strong woman who wore the robes of a Gondorian Healer.

When she was seated on an empty bed she was presented with a small scrap of paper.

She unfolded it and recognised it immediately. It was the little bit of paper that Aragorn had tucked into his boot in the caves at Helms Deep. Their messages to each other were still there although a little smudged.

There was some new writing though.

 _I promised you that we would attend to your injuries and I am keeping that promise! Do not argue with the healers and be a good patient!_

 _Aragorn_

She smiled. It felt good to have a little note from him, despite its contents, and she tucked it away in her own boot.

" _I am sorry for the rough handling, but Lord Aragorn assured me that you would bolt if I tried to persuade you to come."_

Amy could not hide her surprise as the perfect signs flowed in front of her. She then remembered Esther's words, _"you did not think you would be the only deaf person in Middle Earth?"_

" _My name is Catherine, I am one of the healers here. I would like to check your arm if that is okay with you."_

Amy nodded in response unable to put together anything worthwhile.

Catherine was gentle as she unwrapped the arm, taking great care not to move it too much. Amy almost interrupted her to let her know not to worry as she had been carelessly throwing it about for the last few days.

When the bandages and splint were finally removed the healer slowly extended Amy's arm. She looked surprised as although slightly stiff the joint straightened nicely.

She looked curiously at Amy.

She moved the joint back and forth becoming slightly more forceful. Once she was seemingly satisfied she let Amy take the full weight of her own arm and watched her reaction carefully.

" _Are you in any pain?"_

Amy shook her head and slowly began to move the joint of her own accord. It felt a little stiff and the muscles felt tired quickly but there was no pain.

" _Seems like Aragorn did a good job."_ She remarked now able to sign completely freely.

" _Remarkable I would say. I guess the rumours are true about his elven skill at healing."_

" _I guess they are."_ Amy replied not wanting to give too much away on Aragorn's behalf.

" _Well, I guess you are free to go. Do not push it too hard though. The muscles and ligaments will need time to strengthen up once more. If you get any pain from it, please come back, we do not bite!"_

Amy smiled. _"Thank you. It was nice to be able to talk with someone!"_

Catherine smiled back. _"Most of the healers here know some sign. We have patients who are deaf, it would be remiss if we could not treat them the same as everyone else."_

'Middle Earth, more progressive than Earth in some areas it would seem.' Amy felt comforted by this. Gondor was becoming more likely the place she would remain.

…..

Relief from boredom came when she found one of Minas Tirith's many libraries. It was one of the smaller ones, situated in a secluded corner of the fifth level. Despite being modest in size it sat within a grand dome that let light flow in, reflecting brightly off of the marble floor. The collection of books held there was also small which meant the library was rarely occupied, this suited Amy. She hoped that she would be able to find something that would distract her enough from this horrible wait, a wait that allowed her far too much time to think.

She knew that she was not the only one that felt like this though. The people that remained in Gondor's capital waited to see which army would appear on their horizon. Would it be an army of their loved ones, returning from battle victorious; or would it be thousands of Orcs with nothing to stand in their way?

As the days passed this feeling only intensified and whilst Amy had some confidence in the outcome she sought a refuge from tense atmosphere that built every day. The library became her little hiding place.

She was curled up on a large sofa on the seventh day, trying to concentrate on the book in her hand but to no avail. She kept having to reread each sentence as nothing seemed to be going in. She half hoped that the girl who kept appearing would choose now to be timely distraction.

When she felt something bump into the back of sofa she thought perhaps that her hope had come true.

She glanced behind expecting to see the girl stood there, but there was nothing. She felt a knock again though so pulled herself up from her slouched position and peered over the back of the sofa.

Green eyes stared back at her.

…..


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty Four

Thomas hissed as Amy immediately sprang back, leaping from the sofa and backing away from the cat. She had it in her mind to run like she had done before but this time something stayed her.

Thomas trotted around from behind the sofa and with a rather ungraceful jump made himself comfortable amongst the cushions.

Amy looked around. Nothing seemed to be changing. She dared herself to take a step forward and as she did Thomas yawned widely.

Strengthening her resolve she made her way back and hesitantly sat down beside the nonchalant feline.

"What are you doing here?" Amy whispered.

Thomas' ears pricked at the sound and he looked at her. She saw his mouth open and knew that to be is customary disdainful meow.

"How do you keep getting here?" Her voice had grown louder. "How do you keep getting to places you should not be?" She paused then added. "We should not be."

Her thoughts drifted back to the hospital where she had found herself after the car accident. Thomas had been there too. So clearly, as clearly as she had seen Gandalf there, something the wizard had indeed confirmed now. His words rang in her head. 'Perhaps he wanted me to see you before the battle, see you as you once were, before…'

'He?' She looked down at the cat next to her. He meowed again.

She stood suddenly wary of the small creature beside her.

"You're a cat." It was almost if she was reminding herself. "A stupid, horrid cat."

Thomas hissed.

Seemingly taking offence he jumped off of the sofa and made a dash for the door. Amy quickly stepped out of the way lest he crash into her and watched as he slowed down upon reaching the door, clearly getting too old for darting about. He scampered through the high marble archway out to the long stone corridor.

Amy narrowed her eyes as she watched him, trying to stay alert and watch for any changing scenery. Her interest grew though as he moved further away and she began to follow him.

He had lowered his shoulders as if stalking something only stopping when he reached a small flight of gleaming white stairs.

"Where are you going?"

Thomas looked around at the sound of Amy's voice, his ears twitching in response. He meowed loudly and then bounded down the stairs, stopping at the bottom and turning back to watch her.

When she didn't move, he meowed again.

"You want me to follow?" Amy looked at him suspiciously. She shook her head. This was a bad idea, she also felt foolish. 'Why am I talking to a cat?'

Thomas fidgeted at the bottom of the stairs, and she could see that he was meowing.

She looked around once more. Everything was still clear as day. She was still very much, firmly footed in Gondor. 'Fine.' She thought her curiosity getting the better of her.

She had only made it three steps down when Thomas pounced back up the stairs and began to weave between her legs as she took another step.

This would not be the first time Thomas had caused an accident for Amy, but it would be the last. Her balance, not one of her strongest suits, was knocked off and where Chris had been there last time to catch her, no one was there now.

She pitched forward and fell. The last thing she remembered was not the heavy impact of stone as would be expected, but the thud of her face against carpet.

…..

He ran straight to her room, desperately trying to shake the sinking feeling he had in his stomach. She had not been there, amongst the crowds that welcomed the army home. She had said she would wait, but maybe she had changed her mind.

He barged straight through her door skidding to a stop just in time before colliding with any furniture.

The room was empty.

He about to leave and begin his search when he noticed her bag sat upon the desk. He ran his hand along the leather flap of the satchel; it gave him hope. She would never have left without it.

Legolas tried to reassure himself. She must be somewhere around here; she would not have heard the sounds of their homecoming; no one would have thought to tell her, yes that must be it.

"Need a hand?"

Legolas looked up and saw Aragorn standing in the doorway.

"I thought perhaps she had changed her mind." Legolas offered as an explanation for why he had run off. Aragorn and he had spoken in elvish on their ride back allowing the elf the privacy to tell his friend of what had occurred between him and Amy. He looked back at the bag. "I thought maybe she had left for Edoras but she would not have left this behind."

"Come on, we will find her."

"You have more important things to be doing right now my friend."

"That, my friend, is where you are wrong. I have been fighting for this moment all my life, just as you have been fighting for peace all of your years. If we cannot enjoy this peace with those that we care for, then what is the point of it?"

Legolas smiled. "Hannon le."

"Come, she cannot have gone far."

…..

Legolas was thankful as one by one the remains of the Fellowship helped him look for Amy, with the exception of Frodo who was still recovering and Gandalf who watched over the hobbit.

Pippin took charge of bossing Merry and Sam about, since he was the hobbit with the most experience of Minis Tirith, something he took great pleasure in.

Gimli planted himself outside Amy's room convinced that she would return when ready.

Aragorn and Legolas searched each level.

"Welcome back my lord, we are delighted to have you walk our halls again." Catherine curtsied deeply as Aragorn entered the Halls of Healing.

"Thank you, can I trouble you for some information?"

"Of course, my lord."

"Amy, the girl I asked you to see to. She had the injured elbow."

"Yes, my lord. She came with little protest. She has healed beyond even my best expectations."

"So you did see her?!" Legolas' interrupted. "When?"

"A few days ago now, as instructed. Is something the matter?"

"We are looking for her, you see no one seems to have seen her."

"Well she did keep herself to herself. She wandered around a lot for the first few days but then I guess she found something to do."

Legolas could not help but begin to pace. 'Kept herself to herself, or was ignored,' he wondered?

"Perhaps you should ask Laithe, she seemed to be following her round quite a lot?"

"Of course!" Exclaimed Aragorn. "Thank you!" He turned quickly beckoning Legolas to follow. "I asked Faramir if he could assign someone to take care of her whilst we were gone from the ladies in waiting of the steward. Apparently, they were not overjoyed with this break in tradition but relented to one of their apprentices aiding her. She will know where Amy is."

Aragorn's confidence was short lived.

"What do you mean, you do not know?"

The girl must have been no more than 16 and she visibly shook as the man and elf interrogated her.

"I...I tried…to serve her…but she was not…she did not really want me there."

Legolas wanted to roll his eyes. That sounded just like Amy.

"Sometimes…she would…she would just disappear."

Legolas thought his heart had stopped. "What do you mean disappear?"

"Well, one moment she would…she would be there…and the next…she was would be gone."

"When and where did you last see her?" Aragorn asked firmly.

"She, she would go to the library on the fifth level. I brought her tea there once but she did not drink it."

Legolas was already out of the door before the girl had even finished her sentence. Aragorn followed swiftly behind but could not keep up with the elf as he flew up the streets that climbed from the fourth to the fifth level.

He terrified some locals as he hastily demanded some directions.

When Legolas reached the library, he tried to will himself to slow down but it was no good. As he sped through the marble arch to an empty room he it was the crushing disappointment that finally made him stop.

"Where are you Amy,"

There was a book upturned on a table next to a two-seater sofa. It rested on it pages, left there by a reader wanting to save where they had been.

He walked over to the table and picked up the book. 'Crust,' the title read. It was a book about bread baking.

"Amy." He whispered.

"Nothing?" Aragorn asked finally entering the library.

"She was here." Legolas held up the book. "She was definitely here."

Aragorn joined his friend and began to look around. He may not have been in the wild but he could still use a few of his ranger skills here to find something of use. He put his hand to the seat, trying to feel any residual warmth from where she had sat.

"She has not been here for a few hours, the seat is cold." He looked again then narrowed his eyes. "Hmm."

He held the thick hair he found up to the light. "It seems like she made a friend."

"What do you mean, what is that?" Asked Legolas feeling a sudden surge of panic.

"Cat hair." Answered Aragorn simply.

The book Legolas held tumbled from his hand and Aragorn was shocked as the elf stumbled backwards, crashing into the table.

"Legolas?! Legolas, what is wrong?!" Aragorn reached out, steadying his friend by the arm. He had never seen the elf look so pale.

It was if his blood had turned to ice as a cold pain gripped at his heart. Every limb grew heavy and it felt like lifting a great weight off of his chest as his body forced him to breathe.

His heart tried to fight back as if it had a will of its own, trying to melt the freeze and connect with her, find her, but there was nothing, no hearts call.

She was gone.


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: I think the chapter notifications are working again so fingers crossed you are all getting regular updates. Thank you again for all the support. Every morning I check my emails and when I see reviews it makes my day!

I hope you continue to enjoy as we start the beginning of the end!

Chapter Forty Five

"Please Gandalf, you must come?"

"What is it? Am I not bid some rest?"

"Gandalf, please, it is Legolas, I cannot get him to move or speak. Amy is missing, and we went to the library and now he will not move, please."

Gandalf's face grew sombre. "I will come Aragorn."

The elf had still not moved when the wizard and the future King of Gondor entered. He just stared into the middle space, his usually bright eyes dulled and unseeing.

"Legolas." Aragorn begun. "Gandalf is here."

The elf did not move.

Aragorn turned to Gandalf. "We were looking for her. She was here in the library, I found some hair, cat hair. I told him and he just…" Aragorn did not need to finish as the elf's state gave Gandalf all the information he needed.

"Ah I see."

At the sound of the wizard's voice Legolas looked up sharply meeting his eyes with his own.

"Bring her back." Legolas' voice was cold.

"Legolas, I cannot do that."

"Bring her back." He repeated.

"What do you mean? Bring her back from where?" Aragorn asked although he had a growing sense of the answer.

"Amy has returned to her own world." Gandalf explained.

"What? How?" The man demanded, his own heart constricting in pain for his friends.

"She has returned in the same way that she got here in the first place."

"Bring her back." This time Legolas' voice faltered as the desperation broke through.

Gandalf stepped a little closer to the elf. "I did not bring her into our world, nor did I send her back. I could not bring her back even if I wanted to."

"Wanted to?! What do you mean even if you wanted to?!" It was Aragorn that spoke with rage, as the elf seemed to crumple under Gandalf's words.

"I do not mean to sound uncaring but it is a fact. I cannot bring her back and I would not wish to bring her back. She does not belong in our world Aragorn, she never did."

"I do not accept that! She fought for our world! She suffered for our world!"

"Yes and do you not think she has suffered enough?!" Gandalf did not become angry but his voice was filled with a strength and a truth that had Aragorn's biting his tongue. "Legolas, I know what it is that you wish from me, but I cannot do what you ask."

Legolas' bright blue eyes shone with unspilt tears. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Gandalf crossed the room to the elf and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "There is no wisdom I can offer that will help you with a broken heart, other than to not give up hope."

"What hope is there Gandalf?" Aragorn asked.

"After everything we have been through, you should know that there is always hope."

…..

He had lain in her bed all evening. He could smell her on the sheets.

His elven ears could pick up the noises of the city all around him: the thud of footsteps on stone, the clink of cutlery on ceramic, the voices that grew quieter with every hour that approached midnight. None of it was enough though, to drown out the contradictory loud silence that filled his heart. His song had been stopped in mid flow.

Gandalf had told him to trust to hope. Legolas did not know how to do this.

He pushed himself up from the bed and walked to the dresser. The room was dark, but the slither of moonlight was enough for his keen elven eyes. He ran his hand along the brown satchel but hesitated when he felt the urge to open it.

It was hers, he had no right to look amongst her personal belongings but he longed for something that made him feel close to her, to bridge the gap between their worlds.

Eventually he gave in and flipped open the flap. He pulled out the first object he saw. He slid his finger over the small rectangular block. It had lit up when she had done the same action but now nothing happened. He put it down on the dresser and reached back into the bag, taking out the largest item in there.

It was a leather pouch to his eyes but the fastening on it was strange. He touched the cold metal and remembered the same thing on Amy's jeans, what had she called it again?

A zip.

He pulled open the zip and pulled out the contents of Amy's purse. He studied the strange piece of brown and white paper. There was an older woman on the front who wore a crown and a bearded man on the back. His name was scribed beneath his picture. Charles Darwin. Legolas wondered briefly who these people were. He remembered that Amy had told him that there was royalty in her world, perhaps these were pictures of royalty.

He held the paper up to the moonlight to study it in more detail. 'The Bank of England.' It was money. The figure 10 featured all over it and he wondered if this was a lot or a little. He hoped that wherever she was now she was not in difficulty without it.

There was another piece of paper. It was white on one side but when he flipped it over his breath caught in his throat.

It was like no drawing he had ever seen. Her picture was as clear as day as if the image of her had been stolen from time and stamped onto paper.

She looked younger than how he had known her, her face still undefined by youth. She was smiling widely, one hand in the air as if waving and the other wrapped around the shoulders of an older woman.

Legolas knew that this was Amy and her mother. Amy looked so like her mother, the streaky blonde hair, the grey eyes and the lopsided smile. They both looked so happy. He looked at the eyes of a 15 year old Amy in the picture and almost did not recognise them. He had never seen her that happy. Would she be happier now? Now that she had returned to her world?

She said she would learn to survive without him. It was like a knife to the gut. He clutched the picture in his fist and sunk to the floor.

He knew Aragorn was not far along the corridor, he did not want his friend now, so he silently cried. For the first time in his life he cried silently just as she had done so many times.

…..

"Have you seen him today?" Gimli asked. "I thought perhaps he would be keen to see young master Frodo now that he has awoken."

Aragorn shook his head. "I thought perhaps he would be in her room but there was no sign of him when I stopped by."

"The wee hobbit Pip said he saw him skulking around the fifth level. Perhaps he has returned to the library?"

"Yes perhaps. Maybe you could go and see, give him the news about Frodo?"

"Of course, will you not join me?"

"I have something I must do."

…..

"Did you know?"

Gandalf looked up from the book he held and regarded Aragorn with a careful gaze. "Know what?"

"Know that she could return?"

Gandalf placed the book down on the long table beside him, he knew this conversation would not be short.

"Yes, I knew and so did Legolas."

Aragorn was shocked by this. "Did she know?"

"Yes, she had the opportunity to return home back in Edoras before you rode for Dunharrow but she chose to stay."

Aragorn considered this. "Did she choose to go this time then?"

"Only she knows that."

Aragorn shook his head. He wished he had known all of this so that his counsel to his Elven friend may have been tempered. "What do we do Gandalf? I fear for Legolas, I fear that he will not be able to bear the separation."

"Did I not say to trust to hope?"

"Gandalf, do you know more than you are letting on?"

"If I do then why would I answer that?"

"Gandalf please! This is not a game, he is my friend!"

"Do you think I am uncaring for the elf? I have known him far longer than you, friend."

"Why all the riddles then?! Why can you not just give a straight answer?!"

Gandalf's normally soft eyes turned hard. "Is that what you think I do, give out riddles to confuse and harm? It has also been many years that you have known me."

Aragorn buckled under the wizard's regard and took a seat opposite him. "I am sorry. I just…" He buried his face in his hands. It was not just Legolas' pain he bore but his own. He was ever more convinced that Arwen had sailed West and that he would have to bear the separation of being worlds apart.

"Do you believe in happy endings?" The wizard asked.

Aragorn looked up. "Like in fairytales?" The wizard nodded. "No." Answered the man instinctively. "The world does not work like that."

"Interesting." Mumbled Gandalf. "Amy thought this world was a fairytale."

"I think we have all been through too much to believe that this world is a fairytale."

"And yet here you are. A ranger from the north, with all odds stacked against him, due to be crowned tomorrow as the King of Gondor. Something that you never dared to hope for. And just down the hall lies a small hobbit that walked into the heart of Mordor with nothing but his best friend and the clothes on his back, and destroyed the Ring of power."

"It sounds like a fairytale." Aragorn spoke honestly.

"Yes it does."

…..

He could see the banners far in the distance as he looked out across Pelannor. He had managed to avoid all he knew for the day, only stepping out of the shadows when night had fallen. Legolas knew he could not avoid them much longer though.

He knew those banners, better than he knew any other. They were the banners of Greenwood the Great, his home. Below those banners marched elves coming for the coronation but also coming for him. There was no mistaking, despite the distance, the golden marked banner of the King. His father was amongst those elves and in the morning there would be no more running.

'Do not give up hope.' He tried to remind himself. Hope. He felt as if his heart had turned to bark, his veins to branches that held once green leaves. But with every minute that passed the leaves were turning brown, dropping one by one to ground taking a piece of hope with them each time.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty Six

Aragorn almost did not recognise himself. He had been primped and shorn by ladies in waiting that did not seem to pay attention to his protests.

Eventually he had Gimli remove them lest he start his coronation day off by shouting obscenities and losing all sense of decorum.

He had managed to secure a moment alone before his chosen stewards would come and help him into his ceremonial armour.

The swell of voices, high in joy, could be heard through his window. The crowds were gathering and as the noise grew so did Aragorn's nerves. He was sure he would have preferred facing a band of Uruk Hai than a crowd of well-wishers. He knew though that his life now was forever changed. The ranger had to become a King, a diplomat. He wished keenly then that he had someone at his side to help him, he wished he had Arwen at his side.

A knock at the door disturbed him from his thoughts. "Enter." He was expecting his stewards so was shocked when he saw the pale countenance of his elven friend. "Legolas?!"

"You look as if you have seen a ghost." The elf said quietly.

Aragorn stopped gaping. "I was just not expecting to see you today."

"I have followed you a long way Aragorn for this very moment. I would not miss it for the world."

Aragorn smiled. "I am glad you are here."

"You may change your mind when I tell you that I have dispatched your stewards and will be helping you with your armour instead."

Aragorn could not help the slight pained expression that crossed his face, although he did manage a small yet nervous laugh. "When was the last time you help dress someone in ceremonial armour?"

Legolas allowed a small smile grace his lips, the first for many days. "I am a Prince. I have never helped dress anyone in anything!" Aragorn grimaced. "I will not be helping alone though."

He opened the door behind him and there waited an impatient Gimli.

"Right let's get on with this!" He bustled into the room.

The three hunters fell into easy conversation as Legolas and Gimli helped their companion into his Kingly armour. They spoke of how far they had come, the adventures they had shared, and Gimli and Aragorn spoke of what lay before them. Legolas stayed quiet on this final topic. He had nothing to say. He did not know what lay before him anymore.

He knew his father was in Minis Tirith now, for the coronation, and he knew that once the formal ceremony was over and the festivities began there would be no hiding.

"Are you ready?" Gimli asked breaking through Legolas' thoughts.

Aragorn nodded and took one final look into the mirror before him. He looked like a King.

…..

Despite the damage sustained in the battle of Pelannor, the city felt renewed. It gleamed white in the brilliant sunshine, crammed to the hilt with thousands dressed in their finery.

Gandalf's robes matched the white of the polished marble around him as held aloft the Crown of Gondor. The crowds could barely contain their excitement as finally it was placed on the head of a King.

"Now come the days of the King!" declared Gandalf to all, his voice ringing out. "May they be blessed." He smiled warmly at the man and beckoned him to rise.

Legolas' eyes scanned the crowd from the parapet he stood upon with Gimli. They were entranced by the words of their new King.

It warmed his heart somewhat to see those he recognised hale and whole: Eowyn, Eomer, Faramir, as well as the four hobbits who had shown the world what true bravery looked like.

As the crowd cheered and clapped, white petals fell from above signally the end of the ceremony. The elven banners of Rivendell, Lothlorien and the once Greenwood the Great blew softly in the wind.

He could see Lord Elrond and Lord Glorfindel smiling broadly, and there was someone else stood just behind them almost purposely hiding.

Legolas stepped sideways for a better angle and saw her then.

Arwen.

It would seem that Aragorn's hope had paid off. He knew his friend had not seen her yet as he greeted well-wishers. Legolas felt jealously rise in his stomach. It was a horrible feeling. He did not want to be jealous, but he knew why he was. Arwen should not be the only loved one here.

He stepped down from the parapet and fell into step with Aragorn. The man looked up at him and Legolas felt the jealously melt away. Despite the happiness that was clear in Aragorn's eyes there was something missing, something Legolas now understood all too well.

For the second time that day Legolas smiled and nodded towards the end of the path that had been cleared before the King. He beckoned Aragorn to follow him.

The elves gathered, eager to pass on their well wishes. Lord Elrond was the first to step forward. He said nothing but took Aragorn's hand and squeezed tightly, and offered a slight nod. There was so much to say between them but now was not the time. The elven lord stepped back and moved to the side.

Arwen now stood as clear as day before Aragorn.

Aragorn thought for a slight second that he had gone mad but as she stepped towards him, the unmistakable fragrance of autumn and freshwater rapids filled his being. She was here.

Legolas could not quite bear to witness the reunion so moved back, hoping to disappear into the crowds.

He had taken just a few steps when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He did not need to turn to know who whose hand it was. He took a long breath then faced his father.

"I think it is time that you and I had a talk." The words were short and biting and Legolas could not meet the stern gaze of Thranduil.

Legolas just nodded and gestured for his father to follow him.

….

It was a warm day and yet the room felt cold as the icy King of Mirkwood paced around.

"Well I see you are in one piece." Thranduil finally remarked coolly, fixing his son with a stare.

"Mae Govannon, Ada." Was all the reply Legolas could manage.

The King said nothing in reply, instead choosing to circle his son slowly. When Thranduil moved behind his son, knowing he could not be seen, he allowed himself a small moment of relief at seeing his son whole.

When he finally stood in front of Legolas, his cold mask was back in place. "We will be returning home in three days, and you will be coming with us." There was no question.

"Ada, I…"

"If you are about to argue that point, I suggest you hold your tongue and think about all of the duties you have abandoned, the people you abandoned. Your people."

Legolas hung his head in shame.

"You have a good life before you, one of nobility and prestige. You have a good Elleth waiting for you. Is it really so difficult for you to come home without argument?"

At this Legolas lifted his head and it was then that Thranduil saw the grief in his son's eyes. It was so stark that the King found himself stepping backwards.

"I am sorry father. For everything. I am sorry for letting you down, for letting my people down. I am so very sorry, but…I cannot marry Melima."

Thranduil's rage was barely concealed and he spat out his words. "We had an agreement. You swore on our banner! Have you no honour left?!" If Thranduil wanted an answer he left very little opportunity for Legolas to say anything before launching into another tirade. "Does it pain you so much to fulfil your role as Prince of our realm that you disappear on a suicide mission just to spite me!?"

Legolas did not want to cry but he struggled to contain the shame, hurt, and the rush of disappointment he felt in himself. "I do not deserve your forgiveness, nor that of our people, but I wish to do no more harm. I will come home, I will do my best as Prince but I will not marry her, it would be cruel to bind her to me."

"She will have the life of a princess, a queen! She will want for nothing. There is nothing cruel about that!"

"But I will not love her!" Legolas' voice heightened and grew in strength. He was not as tall as his father but as his courage finally grew he felt as strong as him for the first time in his life.

"You will grow to love her." Countered Thranduil unrelentingly.

"No I will not. I cannot." Legolas took a deep breath. "I love another."

Thranduil narrowed his eyes. "I see." He studied his son carefully. He was drawn back to the shining grief that now seemed to be radiating off of the younger elf. Thranduil suddenly felt afraid. It was a fear he had felt once before when he had first heard that Legolas had joined the Fellowship. "I think perhaps you owe me an explanation."

Legolas nodded, but where to begin. "Her name is Amy. She is not from our world."

Thranduil's face changed but Legolas could not read the reaction, he continued.

"We met in Lothlorien and I fell in love with her straight away. She was a guide to us, she fought with us, she helped us, she…"

"Legolas." Thranduil begun when his son faltered. "Where is she now?"

"She is gone." The tears fell freely.

"She is dead?"

Legolas shook his head. "She has returned to her world, and I don't know how to get her back. I don't think I will ever get her back."

The King had so many questions, so many things he wanted to say, but as a father watching as his son's heart broke he could not hold back any longer. He reached out to his son and held him.

Legolas could not remember the last time his father had held him, he was certainly not expecting to be held, but the action was enough to break down his final shred of control.

The full force of the pain swept forward and he had to steady himself by gripping his father's robes as harsh sobs racked through his body.

Thranduil held him tightly. He could remember the last time his had held him like this. It was the night that he told him that his mother had died. The King tried to block the memory unless his own pain, the pain that drove his bitterness, broke through.

He offered no words of comfort. He just let his son hold on until there were no more tears left.

"You have three days." The King spoke once Legolas had stepped away from him.

Legolas felt sick, had his father really not changed his mind at all?

"You have three days until we leave for home." Thranduil repeated. "I would see you with us but I will not make you come. I am a fool if I think I have ever been able to make you do anything. Whatever your decision, I will not force you to marry." There was a weariness to the King's final yielding.

Legolas felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Hannon le."

"Legolas, is there no chance that she can come back, Amy."

"I do not know. I think Mithrandir knows but he speaks in nothing but riddles."

"Well that will not do, meddling wizards!" His Kingly façade dropped slightly as he grumbled. "You make him tell you! If there is a chance that you can get her back, if there was any chance I could get your mother back do you not think I would take it!?" It was Thranduil's turn for his commanding voice to falter.

"Ada, there is something else I must tell you." The final knot of nerves in Legolas' stomach tightened. "Amy, she…she is human."

There was that fear again and this time he knew that there would be no end to it. Not once had it occurred to him that Legolas would fall in love with a mortal, but now that he had declared as such it seemed so obvious. All his life Legolas had been slightly apart from his people, far more rash, far more reckless, so full of life as if it would be over so quickly. Something unusual for an immortal.

"Of course she is." Thranduil sighed. He felt more tired than he had ever felt in his long years. He pulled up a chair and sat heavily. "I always knew it would be too much to ask that you would settle down to a quiet life with a nice sensible elleth. Maybe that is why I fought so hard for you to marry Melima." He ran his hands over his weary face.

"When I realised how I felt, it was too late. My heart was gone." Legolas felt as if he needed to offer some sort of explanation.

"What would you ask of me Legolas?"

"I ask for nothing father."

Thranduil shook his head. "You ask for more than you know." He stood and began to pace again, the adrenaline coursing through him forcing him now to move. "You ask me to release you from your duty as Prince of our realm, be it now or when your heart and spirit inevitably breaks. You ask for me to stay as King long after I wish to. I am tired Legolas. I wish to sail West, to have the chance of reuniting with my beloved in the Undying Lands." He approached his son now. "You ask me to say goodbye to you, to let you go, to allow you to sentence yourself to grief and death. That is what you ask!" There was no mistaking the anguish Thranduil felt. "My little leaf."

Legolas had no words to say in reply.

"You have said it yourself though, it is too late. You are far beyond my influence. I would wish you happy though, for however long it may be."

"Father, I do not know what to do."

Thranduil wished he could come up with a solution, one that meant he would not lose his son, but all his wisdom and experience told him that Legolas was beyond saving. All he could do now was help his son find happiness.

"You get that wizard to tell him exactly what he knows, and if he will not, then I will make him!"

Legolas knew there was nothing he could say to thank Thranduil, instead he did as he used to when he was an elfling. He rested his head against his father's chest and drew strength and comfort in the smell of home.

….


	47. Chapter 47

A/N: Thank you once again for all the lovely reviews. I would definitely love to hear more of your thoughts as we approach the end!

 **Chapter Forty-Seven**

There was a knock at the door.

Legolas wanted to ignore it and just bury his face further into the pillow. The smell of her hair was almost gone from the fabric.

"Legolas, are you in there?" It was Aragorn. If it had been anyone else he perhaps would have stayed quiet.

"Come in." He called out and sat up on the bed.

Aragorn was no longer in his ceremonial armour and instead wore a deep red velvet tunic that was heavily embroidered and beaded around the collar. He looked tired but content.

"I thought I might find you here."

"You should be enjoying the celebrations, not looking for me. My apologies."

"Do not apologise. This is a welcome rest from all the dancing!"

Legolas smiled. "I am happy for you my friend."

"I know you are, I wish I could repeat that sentiment." Aragorn sat beside his long-time friend. "So, how was your father?"

"Surprising." Aragorn raised a quizzical brow. "He wants me to find out how to get her back."

"That is surprising."

"I should have trusted him sooner." Legolas shook his head and rubbed his hands over his tired face. "How did it come to this Aragorn?"

"Well I suppose this is part and parcel of living in a fairy-tale."

"What?"

"Oh nothing, it is just something Gandalf said."

"Gandalf?" Legolas' voice suddenly turned cold. "Why do wizards have to be so knowledgeable yet so unhelpful?"

"Have you asked for help?"

Legolas said nothing.

"What are you waiting for? Find him, ask him, do something?!" The sudden fervour in Aragorn's voice shocked Legolas. "What are you frightened of? The worst has already happened?"

Legolas stood and caught sight of himself in the mirror. He barely recognised the elf that stared back at him. He felt miles away from a warrior of the Fellowship. He looked away and turned back to Aragorn. "What if she chose to go?"

Aragorn did not say anything in reply, instead waiting for Legolas to continue. "The last time, in Rohan, she ran. She ran from home to me. What if she didn't run this time? What if she didn't wait for me?"

"Legolas. She said she would wait. Do not lose faith in her "

"Gandalf was right though. She did not belong here, she did not want to be here. The only reason she could bear the thought of staying was because of me." Aragorn could hear the deep sorrow in his friend's voice. "What if that wasn't enough anymore?"

"There is only one way to find that out. She is the only one that can answer those questions."

"If I ask Gandalf for help, and somehow he can help me, and we bring her back, what then? How do I ever live with myself if I drag her back to a world she does not want to be in?"

"Legolas, one step at a time. First you need to know exactly what Gandalf knows. Valar knows, he might even be able to answer some of your questions."

Legolas was staring at the strange rectangular object that lay on the dresser. He had been so fascinated by it when it had lit up in her hand. It hit him like a train. A sudden realisation. The change on his face was obvious and Aragorn stood. "What is it?"

"What if I am asking the wrong questions?"

"What do you mean?"

"She does not belong here. She said it, Gandalf said it and I know it is true." Legolas begun to pace, a trait he now knew he got from his father. "What if she is not the only one that does not belong here?"

"What are you saying?" Aragorn was already shaking his head.

"I cannot bring her back. But maybe I can go to her."

"Legolas, Middle Earth is your home!"

"No, she is my home."

…..

Legolas looked around the library, the one place he knew she had been. It was getting late but the coronation celebrations were still in full swing and music rang through the grand stairwells and wide corridors.

Even the library was touched by the cheers and rhythms but it was quieter than most areas and deserted. Well, deserted with the exception of a wizard.

Legolas had asked everyone he passed in order to find Gandalf, and he was not surprised that his questions had led him here. His silent footfalls did not alert the wizard to his arrival and he remained seated in a high backed chair staring out of the window over the city whilst puffing on his pipe.

"Had enough of the revelry?" Legolas' voice was clear and cool and reverberated around the room.

Gandalf looked slightly startled at first but then his eyes softened. "I would say I am too old for it but I have seen a few elven lords of grand ages still going strong!" Legolas gestured to the chair opposite Gandalf. "Yes come, come sit."

Legolas did as he was bid and tried to relax.

"I see you left early with your father." The wizard raised his eyebrows in question.

"Yes, he was far due an explanation for my recent actions."

"And was he satisfied with your explanation?"

"I would not say satisfied, but perhaps accepting without much choice. He was kind though. Kinder than I have seen in a long time."

Gandalf nodded. "Your father has seen things and been through things that most will never even be able to imagine. But then so have you now. Perhaps he sees that in you."

"Perhaps." Legolas thought on this.

"Did you tell him of Amy?"

"I did. It hurt him, when I told him that she is human."

Gandalf took a long draw of his pipe. He remembered all too well Lord Elrond's reaction to Arwen's profession of love for Aragorn, he had been in the room at the time. Lord Elrond would have been at least somewhat prepared, considering the choice of his own brother. Thranduil, however, would never have entertained the thought. "I hope this is a pain he can bear." Gandalf mumbled the pipe still on his lips.

Legolas heard his words and bowed his head.

"No no, I do not say this to admonish you." Gandalf clarified. "Only that I worry for him, as I worry for you. He will not be the only one that has to bear the inevitable separation."

"Is it inevitable? Or will I not just now linger on?"

Gandalf put down his pipe. "I cannot answer that. You do not need me to answer that Legolas."

"You are right. I know the answer." He looked out of the window. "I will not linger, I will not bear this pain. I cannot be without her."

Gandalf was glad that the elf had looked away as he said those words as he was unsure if he could have held his grief stricken gaze as he spoke them. "Would that I could help you."

"You can." Legolas turned back to him.

"I have already told you, I cannot bring her back."

"I am not asking you to. But I do want some answers. Will you be honest with me?"

"I am always honest." Gandalf grumbled with offence.

Legolas could not held but raise a graceful eyebrow. "Fine, but I ask that withhold nothing, no omissions, no riddles."

Gandalf tapped his pipe against the arm of his chair. The elf's request left little wriggle room, and by his nature Gandalf did not like to be pinned down too much. He sighed loudly and continued to tap his pipe.

Legolas could feel his impatience growing, something also unusual in an elf. "You either answer my questions or my fathers."

"Is that a threat?"

"That depends very much on whether you view my father as threatening?" Legolas smiled charmingly.

"Blasted elves! Fine! Ask me your questions and I will do my best not to omit anything." He feigned anger but in truth he was glad to answer Legolas' questions, especially if they brought him some comfort.

"Answer me how? How does she move between our worlds?"

"Well that is a tricky one to start with!" Gandalf adjusted his position attempting to get comfortable. "There is very little magic in Amy's world. Hers is a world of humans and although there are some that possess some power, it is very limited in comparison to ours. Now magic can be defined in a number of ways, on Amy's Earth, they would often call it miracles or perhaps just science. Either way the miracle that brought Amy here was a gatekeeper."

"A gatekeeper?" Repeated Legolas, familiar with the word but not with what it meant in this context.

"There are gates that allow movement between the worlds. There are no keys, no spells, no way anyone from any world can move between them unless allowed to, or rather forced to by a gatekeeper."

"But why are there gates? Why have gates that we cannot use?"

"For that you will need to ask someone wiser than me."

"What about the gatekeepers? How would I find them? Could I ask them?"

"You do not find them, they find you."

Legolas let out a frustrated exhale of breath. "So one found Amy."

"Yes."

"But she did not know any of this, she did not see anyone, a gatekeeper."

Gandalf smiled wryly. "That is not strictly true. The gatekeepers are essentially doorways to an infinite amount of doors. They are hugely powerful, and horrendously vulnerable. Can you imagine the power someone had if they were able to capture a gatekeeper, torture them for information, force them to take them where they desire, the possibilities are endless and terrifying. The gatekeepers know this so they came up with a rather ingenious way to protect themselves, or if they are captured to ensure they could never give up anything." Gandalf stopped and waited for Legolas to take the information in.

"What did they do?" The elf finally asked, however he had a strange feeling he already knew.

"They took on non-humanoid forms. They blend into the world they occupy appearing as if something completely ordinary. If captured they are unable to spill any information as they have no language, not one that could be understood. They take on the form of animals."

"Thomas."

"Yes indeed Thomas. He chose the form of a cat and as far as I am aware he has made Earth his home for hundreds of years."

"But Thomas is Amy's cat, he was her mother's cat! Why live with them, why be their pet?"

"Well now we move from the how to the why." Gandalf buried his hand into his bead stroking his chin in contemplation. "Amy was always concerned with the why, never the how."

"She wanted to know why her, of all the people to end up here, why her?"

"I asked her if the why was important. Did there need to be a why?"

"There has to be a reason!"

"Does there?! Perhaps the gatekeepers just like to cause chaos once in a while!"

"I cannot believe that." Legolas' shoulders slumped almost in defeat. "I cannot, because if that is true then they are cruel. How could they be so cruel?"

Gandalf stopped scratching his beard and leant forward. "I do not think they are cruel and therefore I do believe that there is a reason."

"Do you know the reason why?"

Gandalf squirmed a little in his seat and leant back. "Hmmm."

"You promised no omissions." Legolas reminded.

"I know, I know!" He replied with a grumble. "I do not know, but I have a feeling. I am not in the habit of sharing my feelings without some facts to back them up, which here I do not have."

"Please Mithrandir. I would hear your thoughts."

"Hmmph, very well. Thomas showed me Amy, before she came here. She was in an accident in her world as you know."

"Yes."

"She looked so alone. I do not think I have ever seen someone that looked so alone. Thomas was worried for her. I could not communicate with him but I could feel him, his emotions, I could almost feel his thoughts. She could have died in that accident and that is perhaps what is spurred him to act."

"If that is so, if that is why he brought her here, then why take her away?"

"Did he take her? Or did she go?"

Gandalf did not miss the pain that seem to envelope the elf before him. "I don't know."

Gandalf nodded. "Does it matter though? There is no reason that two things cannot exist at the same time. She could have chosen to go, and she loves you. The two are not mutually exclusive."

Legolas had not thought of that. "No they are not mutually exclusive, because if she chose to go, I still love her. What it means is that even if I were a gatekeeper myself, I could not bring her back. I could not do that to her."

"And now you understand why I said what I said. I would not bring her back even if I could."

Legolas nodded. "If I believe that Thomas did this for Amy, to see her happy, then I have to believe that he is not finished yet."

"Trust to hope."

"Could Thomas take me to Earth?"

Gandalf smiled. He had been waiting for this. "Yes he could."

"How do I ask him, how do I tell him that is what I want?"

"Is it? Is that truly what you want?"

Legolas could not answer.

Gandalf leant forward once more and placed a comforting hand on Legolas' knee. "If you are truly ready to forsake your home, your family, your friends, then he will know, and he will come for you. That is what I believe."

…..


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty Eight**

"Hello old friend."

Legolas looked up to see Arwen standing in the doorway of the library. He had been alone, Gandalf had left him with his thoughts.

"It is good to see you."

She sat in the chair that had been vacated earlier. "You look ever so pensive for an elf that has won a war."

"I did not win a war."

She smiled. "Well without you I doubt the war would have been won."

"I highly doubt that I had much to do with it."

"You have always been very good at putting yourself down Legolas." Arwen looked at him pointedly. "You got Aragorn through this, and for that I will never be able to thank you enough." She leaned forward and took hold of his hands. "Perhaps though I could help with your current conundrum?"

"You do not need to thank me, and I do not think you could help me currently."

Arwen raised two arched brows at him. "Oh yes, of course, what help could I possibly offer an elf in love with a human?"

Legolas could not help but smile a little as he realised the senselessness of his former statement. "Fair point."

"Is she really gone?" Arwen asked. "For good I mean?"

"I do not think we will see her in Middle Earth again."

"That is a shame. I would have loved to have met her." She squeezed his hands gently then let them go. "Tell me about her."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Legolas looked at Arwen curiously, wondering where this was leading. "She, she was…is strong. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't, she is stubborn." He smiled. "Which we have in common. She is funny, I do not think she realises it but she makes me laugh. She is… she is so beautiful. Her eyes, they are the colour of the sky before it rains and they see so much, more than most elves I would wager. She sees straight through me…and it feels….it is terrifying and yet…" He looked up at Arwen and her face had softened as if she was lost in her own dream. "You know what it feels like."

"Yes. It is beautiful to hear you speak of it."

It was Legolas who now wanted to ask the questions. "How did you know, that you were ready to give up everything for him?"

Arwen thought on this. "It is interesting that you think I gave up everything, would I not be giving up everything if I stopped myself from being with him?"

"So love is worth more than family, friends, duty?" He voice was not accusing but earnest in his search for answers.

"I love my family and my friends no less. I ask them to bear the burden of grief when I pass from this world, something that I can never forget, nor say thank you for in any meaningful way. They bear it for me, because they love me in turn. And as for duty?" She flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "How many people have lived miserable lives because of duty? How many hours, injuries and friends have you given to duty?"

"Is it that simple?"

"It can be." She turned to looked out of the window. "I will not lie Legolas, there is a deep pain that comes with this decision. Guilt, loneliness, selfishness."

"Is yours' a selfish heart?" He muttered to himself but noticed how Arwen turned back to him quickly.

"It has been a while since I heard those words." Arwen fiddled with the embroidery on her skirt. "Gandalf said the very same thing to me, many years ago."

"Because of Aragorn?"

"Yes indeed. I told him that it would break my father's heart, to have his daughter make the same decision as his brother Elros." She sighed remembering the pain on Elrond's face when she had had told him of her love for the man. "Do you know what the answer is to that question?"

"Does the answer not depend on the person?" Legolas asked in return.

Arwen smiled. "Well if you know of anyone who could ever truthfully answer that question with a no, please do let me know." She leaned forward and held Legolas in a deep stare. "I felt so guilty for a long time, I still do in a way. I followed my heart, I was selfish, what about my family? And then I realised. The minute I fell in love with him, the deed was done. I could not change what happened. I did not ask for Aragorn's mother to bring him to Imladris. I did not ask for him to enter my life. I did not have a choice when I fell in love with him."

"Gandalf said that if I was ready to sacrifice everything I would be with her."

"Aragorn did not have time to tell me everything. Where is she?"

"She is in another world, a world that if I go to there is no guarantee I would be able to return. How can I be ready for that, what would I say to my father, Aragorn, Gimli, everyone?"

"Legolas, I can see it in your eyes that you will not last in this world without her. What do you think your father would prefer, for you to linger here and not survive the season, or to know that you are somewhere happy?"

"I need to talk to him."

"Yes you do. But not now. Come join the party. You have earned it." When Legolas began to shake his head she caught his hands. "Be with your friends Legolas. They would want you with them."

She was right. For now, he would rest his mind and take the time to celebrate the end of this war. A war that had changed his world.

…...

"Amy?"

Amy saw a hand waving trying to catch her attention. She stopped staring out of the window and looked back at the counsellor.

"You zoned out again." Amy looked to the interpreter that sat next to her counsellor for her signs. "Where do you go?"

" _Nowhere_."

"You came to see me Amy, it will help if you are honest."

Amy wanted to look back out of the window. The counsellor had a point though. She had come.

" _I was just remembering something."_

"Can you tell me?"

Amy pulled the memory back to the forefront of her mind. _"I just was remembering teaching someone to bake."_

The counsellor said nothing and just waited for Amy to continue.

Amy had never thought she would find silence awkward, but since coming here she had definitely learnt what that felt like.

" _It was just a nice memory. I was happy."_

"And you are not happy now?"

" _No, but I want to be."_

"Is that why you came to me?"

" _I guess so."_

"When was that, that memory?"

When indeed, thought Amy.

When she had found herself on the floor of her living room three months ago, she had cried. Cried until no more tears came.

She had lay on the floor in a ball even after the tears had run out. There were the familiar vibrations that ran through her floor as the red London busses rumbled by. The smell of her favourite fabric softener drifted through the air.

A flashing light had forced her to pull herself up off of the floor.

It was the light that went off when someone was at the door. It was jarring to have a light flash so brightly after months without electricity. She reached the door, her hand shaking as she fumbled with the lock.

The old lady from next door looked at her with concern. "Are you okay dear? I heard a thump."

Amy just stared at her.

"Are you okay?" She tried again.

Amy just nodded dumbly and closed the door.

Nothing made sense. She had been gone for months yet where was all the post that should be on her door mat. Why was her fruit bowl full and fresh?

She looked down at her clothes. Jeans, T shirt, converses. She shook her head. 'No.'

If she dared to admit it, it was the worst feeling she had experienced, even beyond the moment when she had found out her mum had died.

Had it been real?

She tore through her flat to her bedroom, almost crashing into her mirror. She pulled the T shirt off roughly and stared hard.

It ran red and purple down her chest. The wound that had disgusted her, now was her lifeline. It was real.

Amy realised she was staring out of the window again.

 _"A while ago."_ She finally answered noting the curious look on the counsellor's face. It was the only answer she could give. She had come up with a hundred theories as to how time could pass differently but none of them held any weight and she would just end up cursing herself for not asking Gandalf what would happen to her world whilst he was in Middle Earth.

"Maybe you can tell me more about it next time, tell me about the person you taught perhaps? For now I am afraid we are out of time."

…

She walked slowly down Mansfield Road deciding the air would do her good over fighting for a seat on the bus.

She got as far as the KwixFit on Gordon House Road before the familiar sick feeling caught up with her. She leant against the brick wall and took some deep breaths ignoring the weird looks she was getting from strangers.

'God I'm a mess.' She thought. She pulled her new phone from her pocket and sent a text.

 **Hey, I am done with the psych, want to meet?**

She waited a few moments.

 **Hey you. Bruce needs a walk, fancy a stroll through Whittingtons?**

 **See you there.**

…

They had a favourite bench. It was the bench that Katie had made out with Aaron Joshua in Year Ten on, and it was the bench that Amy had slept on the one night she ran away from home when she was 14 after a row with her mum about hair straighteners.

Katie got there first and let Bruce, her hearing dog for the deaf, loose from his lead to have a good sniff around. She smiled when she saw Amy enter the park crossing the grass to their favourite little spot.

" _Still mad?"_

Amy rolled her eyes. _"I don't think you are supposed to say that."_

Katie shrugged. _"I'm deaf, I can't keep up with what is cool and what is not."_

Amy laughed and watched as Bruce proceeded to mark his territory around the edge of the small planted meadow.

" _So any great revelations?"_

" _I want to be happy."_

Katie raised an eyebrow. _"You are paying £60 a pop for someone to tell you that you want to be happy?"_

When Amy did not reply Katie continued. _"You know, whatever you are paying her, it is worth it. It has been nice to have you around the last few months. Like properly around, not just trying to get out of every social occasion."_

Amy flushed slightly with guilt. When she had turned up on Katie's doorstep the day she had returned from Middle Earth Katie had held her as she cried. For Katie she had seen Amy earlier that day being discharged from hospital, her friend still uncommunicative as normal. But when she arrived at her door, she seemed changed, and from that moment their strained friendship had been restored.

" _You know maybe that knock on the head from the accident actually did you some good!"_

Amy laughed, not silently, she laughed properly. _"Yeah I guess so."_

" _On fuck, hang on."_ Katie got up and pulled a doggy bag from her pocket ready to deal with the little present Bruce had left on the pathway.

Amy laughed as Katie wrinkled her nose. It felt good to laugh. It was healing. She had promised him that she would learn to survive without him, perhaps that is what she was learning to do. That is why she had gone to the counsellor; to keep those walls he had broken down broken.

It hurt though, as much as she had eventually felt relief to be home, it hurt more than she had imagined. He was gone.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N:** Thank for the reviews, especially those of you who have taken time to really comment on the story and where you think it might perhaps go or how it is making you feel! If you have asked questions in your reviews I have deliberately not answered them in these comments as hopefully the answer will come out in the story! Once again thank you so much for the support!

 **Chapter Forty Nine**

"So, I thought you could tell me about this memory of yours, the one where you taught someone to bake." The counsellor smiled gently.

Amy knew it was obvious that she was uncomfortable despite trying hard not to physically squirm in her seat. _"What would you like to know?"_

"Well, I am interested in what about this particular memory made you happy. Who were you teaching?"

" _A friend."_ Amy answered. A stretching of the truth perhaps but they were indeed only friends when she had taught him to make cookies.

The counsellor tapped her pencil against her notebook. It was a signal that Amy had come to recognise as 'I am not going to say anything so you had better elaborate.'

" _He was a friend, he had never baked before. We made peanut butter cookies. I was going through a difficult time…he made me laugh."_

"Is this person still your friend?"

What could she possibly say to that? _"Well…it's complicated."_ Amy's hands fumbled over the signs.

"Is he more than a friend?"

Amy felt the familiar pain that had settled in her heart pulse through her body. _"He was."_

"Would you like to tell me more about him?"

Amy shook her head. She could already feel the tears forming in her eyes.

"Okay. Okay. We shall leave that for today."

…..

She felt sick again and regretted choosing the bus this time. She got off a few stops early and breathed deeply.

When the feeling passed she took a slight detour to the local Co-Op with a thought to picking up something for dinner that night. With a basket in hand she wandered aimlessly up and down the aisles. Even though she had skipped lunch she still did not feel hungry and everything on the shelves left her uninspired. She continued to wander until she found herself in the baking aisle staring at the rows of peanut butter.

She instinctively reached out and picked up the same brand of peanut butter she had carried around Middle Earth. She did not need peanut butter but she could not put it down. She placed it in her basket and continued on.

She stopped again in the pet aisle. She had not bought any cat food or litter for weeks now. The last time she had seen Thomas was in Gondor. She had spent the first month of being home leaving food out for him, calling his name on the street ignoring the strange looks she got. She still did not know what she planned to do if Thomas did ever return.

She felt a familiar pang of anger bubble inside of her. Perhaps she would ring that horrible cat's neck.

"Do you need any help?"

Amy saw the person in the green shirt approach her but did not turn quickly enough to lip read them. She signed her customary _"Sorry, I am deaf."_ Which normally made the average shop assistant back away slowly. She was surprised when the shop assistant smiled apologetically and slowly repeated herself.

"Do you need any help?"

Amy shook her head. "I am just looking." She shocked herself when she felt her own voice reverberate in her throat. Since being back she had only spoken with her voice to Katie and Chris.

The shop assistant's smile did not move and she nodded. "Just let me know if you need anything." She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared leaving Amy staring blankly again at the cat food.

She looked down at the single jar of peanut butter in her basket. She remembered when she had bought that last jar, in the wholesalers with Chris.

She was not the same person as she was then. So much had changed in her, some for the good, some for the bad. She was opening up to the world once again, her world, a world it had taken being ripped out of to realise she loved it here. She loved her London, she loved her road, she loved her little flat. But she wished that it did not come at the price of the black hole that she felt in her gut. She would try and remember what it had felt like, the feeling when he touched her. No memory could ever do it justice.

She had been wandering again.

She looked up at the familiar blue and yellow packaging of Tampax tampons.

It was like being hit with a bucket of cold water. .

When had her last period been?

The basket hit the ground with a loud clang that made everyone in the shop jump, everyone except Amy who stood as if frozen to the spot.

…..

The sun was high in the sky before Legolas even felt he could try to get out of bed. He had done as Arwen had asked and joined the party, and it was somewhere between the third and fourth bottle of his father's famous wine that memories of the rest of the night became fuzzy.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He was not the same person as he was when he had left Imladris. So much had changed in him, some for the good, some for the bad. He had finally experienced what it was to love and be loved, something that as a young elf he had always dreamt of. But he wished that it did not come at the price of the black hole that he felt in his gut. He would try and remember what it had felt like, the feeling when she touched him. No memory could ever do it justice.

He would wait no longer than necessary. He needed to speak to his father.

…...

Amy did not know how many times she rang the bell and knocked on the door but she was sure that the whole neighbourhood had heard her before Katie finally opened the door with an excitable Bruce circling her legs.

" _Hey, are you okay?"_

"I'm pregnant." Amy blurted it out and watched as Katie's face changed from concentration to wide mouthed shock.

"You had better come in."

Katie gestured for her to sit at the kitchen table and instinctively put the kettle on. A very British way of dealing with what was clearly a crisis.

When a large mug of tea was placed in front of Amy, she wrapped her fingers around it hoping the heat would wake her up from what was clearly a dream.

" _So, you are pregnant?"_ Katie signed.

Amy nodded.

" _You are sure?"_

" _I took ten tests. All of them positive."_

" _Pretty sure then."_ Katie paused trying to read Amy's reaction. _"Amy, who is the guy?"_

Amy blew out a breath. "Oh god." She buried her head in her hands.

Katie wrapped her arms around her friend and held her as she cried.

" _Look, whatever it is, whatever you want to do I will be here for you okay?"_ Katie signed when her friend had calmed down.

Amy wiped her face. _"I am so stupid."_

" _You would not be the first. At least tell me he was cute?"_

Amy felt a laugh bubble up. _"Ridiculously cute."_

" _So who is he? Are you seeing someone?"_

" _It is so complicated I do not even know where to start."_

" _Well what's his name?"_

Katie saw the desperate look on her friend's face. She took hold of her hands. "You love him don't you?"

"So much."

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere I don't want to go."

Katie furrowed her brow. "Does he love you?"

"Yes, more than I deserve probably."

"Then where is he, why is he not here, why is he not the one you are telling this news?"

"You would think I had lost my mind if I told you."

"I wish you would tell me, but I won't make you. Do you know how far along you are?"

"At least three months, maybe more."

"Will you tell him?"

Amy felt her throat constrict. "I don't know how."

…...

They had drunk at least three cups of tea before Chris came home. Amy hastily made her exit despite Katie pleading for her stay for dinner. She declined quickly. There was somewhere she needed to go.

She took the 263 bus north squeezing on with the commuters heading home after a long day at work. It had just started to rain so the bus was even more packed than normal as people attempted to stay dry.

Amy was glad when she reached Chandos road and stepped out into the cooling rain. She dashed over to the gates of the cemetery which were already closed. She knew it was past visiting hours but the gates were rarely locked so she opened one up and slipped inside.

It was a short walk.

"Hello Mummy." Her voice was as whisper as she touched the headstone gently. "I am sorry it took so long for me to come here."

It had been over four years since she stood in this spot.

She felt the rain dripping down her face and hoped that it would disguise her tears.

"I really need you right now."

She knelt down and ran her fingers in the grooves.

 **Here lies Bethany Amy Read, mother and friend. The brightest smile in the room.**

Her head rested against the cold stone. "How did you do it? When Dad left, how did you manage? I don't know if I can do it mum."

The wet ground soaked into her jeans and she felt the rain make its way through her jacket onto her back.

"I don't know if I can do it without him."


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

"Ada?" The King's sat with his back to the door, but he had no doubt heard Legolas enter. "May I speak with you?"

"Do you remember what your mother used to say to you, when you could not sleep?" Thranduil did not turn.

Legolas closed the door behind him and approached slowly, hesitating to approach the desk his father sat at. It reminded him of being sent to his father's study at home as a naughty elfling.

"No I do not remember."

"You were very young." Finally, the elven King looked over his shoulder. "Come join me." The King rose and gestured for Legolas to join him on the balcony.

He had been guested a beautiful room that looked out over the sixth level and the balcony jutted out at an angle that allowed the King a view of the rose gardens that had been planted in memory of the Kings of old.

"She would say, 'Sleep deep my little leaf and dream big.'" He continued. "I asked her once, why? Why those words, every time, the same words?"

Legolas could see the pain on his father's face.

"She said it was because she knew her little leaf would have dreams bigger than we could imagine and that he would stop at nothing to achieve them." Thranduil's face now softened. "Your mother was always right Legolas." He turned to face his son. "I am going to sail West. I am done here, I am done waiting for my peace."

He saw the panic rise on his son's face but held up a hand to silence any questions or protests. "If I could spare you an ounce of the pain I bore over the years of being separated from your mother I would do it, and so I say this." He placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "I release you from your duty to Greenwood. There are others who can take care of our people, others who will see them well. I have given everything to my Kingdom, I will not give it my son."

"Ada." Legolas' voice broke over the word having little else to say.

"This is the very least I can do for you now, it is the only thing I can do. There is another world out there that is bigger than I could imagine, far too big for me to even contemplate, but for you, perhaps it is just about big enough."

Legolas looked up at his father in shock. "How did you know?"

"I spoke to Mithrandir, I wanted to make sure that wizard had told you everything he knew!" Thranduil's face showed his long-lived distrust of wizards. "There is something you should know, before…"

It was the first time Legolas had seen his father falter. Thranduil had always been so in command of the words he spoke but now they failed him.

"Legolas, if you…if you do find yourself there, you will no longer be of elf kind. To love her is to give up your immortality, this you already know, but to live in her world is to give up your very being."

"I do not understand."

"There are no elves in her world, no wizards, no dwarves, they do not exist. The minute you enter her world you will be mortal in all senses. You will age, you will get sick, you will die." Legolas knew he was dying already, but to an elf aging was far more an alien concept than dying. "Mithrandir told you that you would have to be ready to sacrifice everything. He meant it."

"Do you tell me this to dissuade me?" Legolas' voice sounded calm to his ears but his heart beat wildly in his chest.

"No iôn. I tell you this because I want you to understand what it is you are choosing. The romantic stories of old talk of happy endings, but little do they say of sacrifice."

"I thought the choice would be easy. I thought it would be so easy to just pick her over everything else."

"If it was that easy I would have sailed West decades ago and left Greenwood to you without a thought."

"Ada, I do not know how to say goodbye to you."

Thranduil felt his throat constrict as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "Do not say goodbye. I would not wish to see you wither away here, nor disappear before my eyes. I would rather just hold a memory of you happy. That is all the goodbye I will need. Tell me about her."

Legolas reached into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out the small photograph he had found of Amy and her mother. "This is her, when she was younger. That is her mother."

He passed the picture to Thranduil who looked surprised at the realism before him. "She is pretty. Is she close to her mother?"

"Her mother was killed."

Thranduil looked back to his son. "I see." He rested against the balustrade. "What does she like to do?"

"Well, there were two things she said she was good at, baking cakes and running, and she proved both. I never told her, but the first time we ran together, I was not prepared for how long she would be able to go for and had to dig a little deeper than usual to keep up with her."

Thranduil chuckled. "Yes best not tell her, you will not hear the end of it."

Legolas smiled and continued to tell his father stories of Amy, what he knew about her world and their time together on the quest.

The stories were like a balm to the elven King's soul and he hoped they would sustain him across the sea.

…...

She had sat beside her mother's grave until the sun disappeared behind the buildings. She had arrived there with an overwhelming sense of fear but as she finally rose she felt calm. She had told her mother her story, the story of what had happened to her. It felt good to actually speak the words, to tell someone all that had occurred, even if that someone could not hear her.

She walked home wet and slightly cold but a little lighter.

As the door to her flat closed behind her she stripped off her clothes down to her underwear and stood in front of her mirror. She could not quite tell if the small bump that was her stomach was from the copious amount of cake she had consumed since being home or perhaps the beginnings of a future where she would not be quite alone as she had once thought.

The scar on her chest had been her only anchor to another world, a world where she had fallen in love. If she needed more evidence that she had indeed travelled between worlds, she certainly had it now.

She pulled her dressing gown around her and sat on her bed. The shock had definitely worn off and she was left with the reality. She was going to be a mum.

The pain that had been a constant feature of her life, she realised, was a little less. Happiness had crept into its place.

But oh how she wished she could tell him. She knew they had both been foolish and this was completely unplanned but instinctively she knew he would be happy. Was he happy now?

She tried not think about that too much. He had pleaded with her to stay before he went, and it gnawed at her that he would now think she had lied and had left him when he was gone. Would he know it was not her choice? Would he even know where she had gone?

He would be hurting.

Amy was not a religious woman but Legolas had told her of the Gods of his world. She looked up at her ceiling and said a little prayer to the Valor. "Let him find some way of being happy, please, that is all I ask for."

…...

"And I thought Gimli looked terrible." Aragorn commented when Legolas entered his newly acquired lounge.

"Huh, you do not look so kingly today yourself!" Grumbled the dwarf.

"I suppose we should be thankful that my father only brought a few case of wine." Legolas joined his friends on the comfortable sofas and thanked Arwen who poured him a large glass of water.

"I think we are all thankful that my father left his wine at home!" Arwen chuckled. She sat gracefully next to Aragorn and their hands intertwined in a movement so relaxed from years of companionship.

"I sent word home this morning so do not be surprised when you start seeing dwarves on the horizon."

"This morning? You were not awake this morning!" Aragorn commented.

"Well fine, it was this afternoon but nonetheless they will come! We will restore this city to what it once was!" Gimli beamed proudly.

"I thank you again my friend. It seems only right that the dwarves are represented here considering the role you have played in securing peace." Aragorn smiled at his friend warmly.

"Perhaps you could lend a hand, or are you skedaddling off home to get out of the hard labour!" Gimli asked playfully, tossing an apple to Legolas in process.

Legolas caught it easily but looked away from the dwarf to the Aragorn.

"Are you returning home?" Aragorn asked pointedly.

"I will not be returning to Mirkwood." He answered slowly, still not quite coming to terms with the fact himself. "I will be doing what I can to get to Amy's world."

Aragorn's face turned white but Legolas could not help but notice the small smile on Arwen's face.

"Well this is good news!" Gimli proclaimed. "Go get our girl back!"

"That's not what you mean though is it?" Aragorn's voice was soft but his face turned hard.

Legolas shook his head. "Amy will not be coming back, and neither will I."

"What?" Gimli straightened himself in his seat.

"I have a choice Gimli. I do nothing and die, I find a way to bring her back and be responsible for her misery, or I go to her. What would you have me do?" He looked at Aragorn with this last question.

"Why must it be you that gives up everything?" The man countered not noticing Arwen stiffening beside him.

"So what is the alternative, why is it acceptable for her to give up everything but not me?"

"I am her friend, I know she had far less to lose than you!"

"She was torn from her world without a choice! A world where she had far more freedom than she could ever have here. We dragged her along on our quest with no choice, I will not bring her back here against her will."

"How do you know it will be against her will? She could have gone back with little choice."

"I know because even if she did not leave by choice, she would not return if given the choice."

"Legolas, please, do not forsake everything, your family, your friends, please."

"Would you have someone counsel me in the same manner?" Arwen's voice was soft but there was a coldness to it.

Aragorn felt guilt rise in him. "Arwen please, this is different, this is…" His words failed him.

"This is no different. You know better than most that to fight this is futile and will only lead to more heartache. I know you do not want to lose your friend, not so soon, not when you thought he would outlive you, but you know that is not possible anymore."

Legolas was glad of Arwen's words, for he found that he did not have many more words to give.

"It was unexpected to find a friend in an elf." Gimli spoke. "You have been a friend, a comrade, a brother in arms and I wish you happiness." He cleared his throat trying to rid it of emotion. "That lassie also deserves happiness so what are you waiting for!"

Legolas smiled. "Thank you my friend."

Aragorn stood. "I am sorry my friend, I am being selfish. I just…"

Legolas rose also and clasped his friend's shoulder. He was shocked when Aragorn pulled him into a tight hug. "Find your happiness my friend, you deserve it."

The man released the elf. "I hope one day that I will see you again, so I will not say goodbye."

"No goodbyes." Legolas agreed.

"So what happens now?" Gimli asked.

"I am not quite sure." Legolas admitted.

…...

He had returned to her room and placed the few objects and gifts that his father and friends had given him in Amy's brown satchel.

He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked over to the window. He looked out over the city, Pelannor, Middle Earth. For the first time in a while he felt brave. He looked down at the picture in his hand. "I will find you."

He heard the slight sound of scratching and turned quickly.

The fat cat idly sat upon the dresser his claws lightly bothering the wood.

"You must be Thomas." Legolas heard the shake in his voice.

The cat answered with a soft meow.

…

She adjusted the final sugar craft leaf on the top tier of the cake and took a step back to admire her work. It was approaching midnight but the extra work had been worth it. The cake was perfect, her best work yet and she smiled thinking of how happy the bride and groom would be tomorrow when they saw it.

She yawned, she should have been in bed a while ago, and she had to be up early to deliver the cake to the venue.

'Just one final touch.' She picked up the little bride and groom models and gently placed them on the top.

She looked at them for a long while, and it was only when she felt her tears drip onto her chest did she realise she was crying. She usually hastily wiped them away but now she let them fall. She knew she had to let herself grieve for what she had lost so that she could appreciate what she would now have.

She began to box the cake up taking care to not to damage the delicate decorations. When she was finished she rubbed her hands over her tired face. Her eyes had become blurry with tiredness and she almost did not see the cat shaped shadow that was cast across her kitchen table.

It was with a sharp intake of breath that her vision cleared and she met the stare of Thomas.

…...


	51. Chapter 51

A/N: Apologies for the slow update. Life finds a way of making a mess but I am pleased to be back with the penultimate chapter of Silence.

 **Chapter Fifty One**

If Amy could have made time stand still it would have been now that she would have chosen for it to stop. Thomas' tail flicked up and down, a sign she knew meant he was impatient.

"Do I get a choice this time?" Her voice shook. "Do I ever get a say in this?"

She did not expect an answer.

She felt as if she was being pulled in two. Her heart was crying out to be reunited with Legolas but fear cut through her like a knife. She desperately wanted to be held by him, to tell him the news, but she did not know if given the choice; could she leave everything behind? Could she make the decision to forsake her world for his?

It was as if her feet were glued to the floor and not a muscle moved in her body as Thomas jumped down from the kitchen table and begun to weave between her legs.

She was a little shocked when he began to nuzzle his head against her shins, an affectionate action that he had never shown before.

Regaining a little courage she knelt down and tentatively reached out a hand. The cat reacted immediately and tickled the palm of her hand with his whiskers and nudged it with his nose. She brought her hand down and for the first time in a very long time scratched the feline's neck.

Amy could feel the hum of his purring.

"What are you?" She asked continuing to stroke and scratch his fur.

He meowed loudly in response.

She had a vivid memory come to her of her mother cradling Thomas in her arms. He had been a rare cat that had loved to be held and would roll over in her arms, exposing his belly for rubs. "You loved my mum didn't you? It was the only reason I kept you."

Thomas stepped forward and climbed onto her lap.

"You didn't eat for days when she died."

She wrapped her arms around him and dared to stand up.

"Why are you doing this Thomas, how are you doing this?"

He meowed again and wriggled in her arms to get comfortable. Amy had ended up with deep cuts the last she had tried to pick him up and had never tried again since.

"I don't know what to do, I don't know what I am supposed to do." Tears dropped from her eyes onto his fur and he licked where they had fallen.

"I miss him so much." She buried her face in Thomas's fur. He smelt like the outside, a musty damp, the heavy pollen. She lifted her head. There was something else. Rain, trees and earth. Such a familiar smell. "Did you see him?"

Thomas began to wriggle again so she placed him down back on the kitchen table. He jumped off immediately and she watched as he trotted off past her, around the kitchen island and straight to a pair of dark boots.

She knew those boots, but despite this she still gasped when she looked up and saw bright blue eyes staring back at her.

Legolas ached to cross the room and touch her; to reach out and take her into his arms but he held himself firm. Her face was frozen in shock and he felt a stab of fear. If she rejected him now, he would have given up everything for nothing.

He did not have to wait for long though.

Her face softened and her chin shook with emotion. _"Are you real?"_ Her hands trembled.

Legolas could not stop the wide smile that graced his face. _"Come and find out."_

Her body hit his hard as she crossed the room without a second to lose.

Legolas lifted her off the floor, holding her tightly and breathing her in and letting out a huge breath of relief.

"You are real." He heard her whisper and gripped her even tighter.

He almost could not believe he was here, that in the end it had been that easy and here she was in his arms. He did not ever want to let her go.

Despite all of Amy's fears and confusion the pure relief that coursed through her told her that she also did not want to let him go.

The soft mewl of Thomas broke through the heavy breaths and Legolas looked up.

"Thank you."

Amy felt the tell-tale rumble in his chest that alerted her to him speaking. She looked up and wriggled slightly forcing him to put her down. She followed his gaze to Thomas who sat upon the kitchen table once more looking perhaps a little smug. He meowed loudly.

"I don't know why you do what you do, or why you chose us, but thank you."

Amy did her best to lip read him as he earnestly spoke to the cat. She could hear the back of mind commenting on the ridiculousness of the situation but it was all but drowned out by the hammering of her heart.

They both watched as the feline attempted a graceful jump, failing miserably and colliding with the floor in a heap. He quickly straightened himself out and hissed at the table as if it was at fault. Then with his business done he walked past Legolas and Amy disappearing from sight somewhere between the fridge and the hallway.

Amy turned her attention back to Legolas. He looked so odd, an elven prince, head to toe in the colours of nature, two white knives secured to his hip; standing bright eyed in her pokey kitchen next to her dishwasher.

She could not hold it in anymore and a laugh of disbelief and ludicrously escaped her lips. "How? How are you here?"

" _You are not the only one it seems that can cross between worlds."_ He smiled and signed the words easily pleased to be able to use his hands like this again.

There was so much to say but now was not the time. She stepped closer to him and he saw her intention. Their lips met in a fierce passion and hands grasped for contact with skin.

Her hands traced familiar hard plains and sharp angels; muscle memory guiding them around his body. Her hands dove into his hair, relishing the feel of silk between her fingers.

As hands continued to explore bodies it was with a jolt of surprise that Amy pulled back.

"What, what is it?" Legolas asked looking at the dismayed look on Amy's face.

Amy blinked a few times, as if testing her eyes were still working. "Your ears?"

Legolas raised a hand and touched his ear. The once pointed tip was gone, replaced with a rounded edge. He dropped his hand and tried to bury the unsettled feeling that was spreading through him.

" _What did you do?"_ Amy's hands moved quickly.

" _Does it matter."_ Legolas answered. _"I am here."_ He tried to reach out and stroke her hair but she stepped back.

" _Tell me."_

Legolas sighed. _"There are no elves here. I cannot be here and be an elf."_

" _So…"_ Amy paused taking it in _. "You are….what are you?"_

" _I am human. Just like you."_

" _Wait…you…"_

Legolas continued when she struggled _. "I am human, I am here and I want to spend the rest of my human life with you."_

Her breath came quicker with the shock _. "You'll die."_

" _Yes, hopefully not until I am old though."_

" _Old?"_ She repeated, still not taking it all in. _"You'll age, age with me."_

" _Yes."_ He stepped forward and took her hands _. "_ Amy, please don't be sad about this. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here with you, next to you. I want to live my life with you. One life with you will never be enough, but it is better than an eternity living in separate worlds without each other."

He spoke slowly allowing her to lip read.

"You knew that this would happen. You did this willingly?"

He nodded. "It was my choice."

"And what if you go back?"

"I don't know."

"What you did not think to ask?!"

"I was more concerned with getting to you. Amy, when I got back and you were gone, I…" He faltered and let go of her hands. _"I could not do, I could not even begin to know how to survive without you. My whole being refused outright to even entertain the idea. I swore to myself that I would find you and that I would do whatever it takes, I would give up anything."_

She wanted to shout at him, to rehash the argument they had the night before he left for the final the battle, but she did not have the heart to. Her heart was abandoning all messages from her brain. Her heart was too overjoyed to worry about long term consequences.

"I didn't leave by choice." Her voice was quiet, quiet enough that for the first time in his life, Legolas did not hear.

She saw him strain unconsciously, his neck craning his right ear towards her trying to pick up the sound. She saw the confusion on his face and the slowly dawning realisation that much about him would be changed.

" _I did not leave by choice."_ Amy repeated in sign.

She saw the tension that he held in body release and the tears that he had held back so far fill his eyes.

" _I thought about it."_ She carried on honestly. _"When Thomas appeared in Gondor, I thought about it and I did not run away. But when it came to it, it was not my choice to leave."_

He could not help but smile. He knew he it would not have changed anything if she had left by choice but it felt so good to know that she had not left him. He ran his fingers down her arms and stared at every detail of her.

Her hair was shorter, stopping just below her jaw line. It had lost some of the sun bleached highlights. Her face was slightly fuller as she had regained some of the weight she had lost from her exertions and time in Middle Earth. She looked healthy. It occurred to him then that these were not insignificant changes.

" _Amy, how long have you been home?"_

" _Three months."_

Legolas let out a breath in shock. _"Three months?"_

She nodded. _"Why? How long since you returned?"_

Legolas bit his lip. It had felt like a lifetime yet compared to her he had had it easy. _"Three days."_

She raised an eyebrow. _"You went gallivanting between worlds after just three days?!"_

He felt slightly embarrassed now.

" _You figured out how to travel between worlds, wrangled some sort of magical cat, gave up your immortal life, your home, your family, after three days_!"

He could not quite tell if she was mad. _"You make me brave, you make me kind, you make me better than I could be on my own. You make me utterly foolish and I refused to spend one more minute without you."_

If she had been mad, she would not have been able to sustain it. "You are still a bloody stubborn elf."

He smiled at hearing her say that.

"I missed you so much. I thought I had been torn in two." Her voice shook.

"I am here now and I will string that cat up if he tries any of his tricks again." His face softened and he let his hands trail softly up her body. "I love you." His lips were on hers and finally with the full sense of relief they both abandoned any fear.

He pushed her against the kitchen counter and let out a low groan as the length of her body pressed against him. Her curves felt more pronounced as he ran his hands down her and he could not help but grab hold of her behind pushing her harder against him.

He buried his face into her neck, breathing her in. She smelt incredible, like fresh mint, and her hair smelt like perfume. When his lips and teeth began to tease and bite at the soft skin at the hollow of her neck, Amy knew that she needed to get him out of the kitchen lest she let him take her here and risk the cake that sat precariously behind her.

Amy took hold of his wandering hands and pushed him away, breaking his kisses. When he began to protest she pulled him in the direction of her bedroom. She kicked the door open and took hold of his tunic pulling him towards her and taking hold of his lips again.

Her room was dark and instinctively she freed one hand and hit the light switch. Legolas almost jumped out of his skin.

He looked at the lamp suspended from the ceiling distrustingly.

"I'll explain electricity to you later." She murmured against his lips.

That was all the reassurance he needed and he ran his hands down her back, over her bottom and lifted her, pleased when she wrapped her legs around his waist.

They fell into bed together and wrestled and ripped at clothing. This was not the time for slow romance, as bodies yearned to be reunited and hearts called for greater closeness.

It felt so good to have the weight of him on her again and her hips instinctively rose and fell against his. The pyjama shorts she had been wearing had been pulled down and she waved her left foot to fling them off before wrapping her legs around his waist coaxing him on.

Legolas did not need any more encouragement and he pulled her underwear to one side and sunk deep inside of her. As her back arched he lifted her up towards him as he sat back onto his haunches and held her close to him.

They stayed like for a few moments. Bodies, hearts and minds completely entangled.

"I don't want to be without you again." Her breathy whisper was right against his ear and it sent shivers down his spine.

Legolas pulled his face back so that she could see his mouth. "You never have to be."

…...

The green numbers changed and he looked at them curiously. _"I think I am going to need a lot of explanations around here."_

Amy laughed and looked at her bedside clock. It was 5:32am and she needed to be up and out of the door at 7:00am. She sighed and rested her head back against his chest. She was tucked between his legs her back to his stomach, their naked skin pressed together. His arms were looped around her allowing her to be able to converse with him as she watched his hands.

"You are also going to need some new clothes." She looked at his discarded tunic on the floor. "You do not see many leather jerkins around north London."

" _I place myself in your hands."_

She smirked and ran her hands down his thighs before quickly stopping herself when she felt him grow hard behind her.

She twisted around giggling when he attempted to keep her still. "No, no, if I stay here much longer I am never going to make it across London in time for this wedding!" She pulled the sheets around her and clambered out of the bed leaving the desirable sight of Legolas uncovered propped up against her pillows.

" _You are going to leave me here!"_ He feigned hurt.

" _I have to pay the bills, which means I have to get that cake where it needs to be. You are a distraction."_

" _Oh how the tables have turned."_ He smiled.

She tried to scowl at him but it was not working. "I need a wash and you need to stop looking so beautiful." She disappeared into the bathroom that adjoined her room and was not surprised when he followed her.

" _So this is the famous shower?"_ He remarked and slid open the glass door and stepped inside.

She remembered their long discussion about her shower and bit her lip as she suppressed a laugh as she watched him fiddle unsuccessfully with the controls.

She joined him, pulling the glass door shut behind her and pushed him out the way whilst enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. She adjusted the temperature, not wanting to freak him out with an ice cold shower on his first time, and slowly turned the water pressure on until glorious streams of hot water fell upon her.

In a rather ungentlemanly action Legolas shoved her over placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head as an apology.

He let out a groan of delight as the water cascaded over him and closed his eyes lost in the bliss.

She stepped back and leant against the cold tiled wall letting it the cool the flames of her blood.

She watched him. Other than his ears, he was utterly unchanged. She wondered if that would be it. He still looked otherworldly to her, his skin pale and now glistening, so perfect in a world that was anything but.

She looked down at herself and could not help but notice the small bump that was her stomach. She took a deep breath.

"Legolas?"

"Yes?" He was distracted, his eyes shut tight as he revelled in the feel of the water pouring all over him.

He looked so content, happier than she had ever seen him. The muscles that lay beneath that lithe body were relaxed. She hoped he would stay that way.

"I'm pregnant."

…...


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter Fifty Two

She was not entirely sure that he had heard her, but it did not take her long to notice that the once relaxed muscles were now tense.

"Legolas?"

He opened his eyes slowly and stepped forward so that the water was no longer running down his face.

"Say that again." If Amy could have heard his voice she would have heard the hope within it.

"I'm pregnant, about 16 weeks the doctors reckon." She could not help but smile as she spoke. As scared as she had been, now she felt only joy.

Legolas thought of the picture of Amy and her mother, he had never seen her as happy as she had been in that photograph. That was until now.

"We are having a baby." He stepped forward and touched his fingers to her stomach.

"Yes."

His eyes lit up and a broad smile broke across his face. She felt his own joy radiating from him and she could not help but laugh. All the pain, all the confusion, every frayed feeling from the moment she stepped foot in Middle Earth was resolved.

Legolas grabbed hold of her. Everything he had ever dreamt about was coming true. A world bigger than he could imagine to be explored, his heart connected in love, and a family. Everything around him was so unfamiliar and yet he had never felt more at home than he did now.

Amy pulled back, she wanted to see his face. "Are you okay?"

Legolas nodded and tenderly stroked her hair. "This has been quite the day. In my thousands of years, I have never had a moment as beautiful as this."

"Welcome to earth." She replied with a smile.

They both felt it then. That feeling that had been missing since they had been separated.

Amy was the first to react looking at Legolas questioningly. "I thought I would not feel this again, not here."

Legolas ran his hands down her body delighting in the tremor it sent through her. He could not help but rest his hands finally on her tummy. "It seems there is a little magic left in this world."

…...

There would, no doubt, be complications ahead of them; a once elven immortal finding his way in life on another world. A world that did not believe in magic nor that supposed fictional characters lived real lives on another plain of existence, however, with some careful storytelling and a few very understanding friends Legolas did indeed find his way.

…...

"Oh now you are just making me look bad!" Chris complained as Legolas began to clear up the plates from the table.

Legolas just laughed and stacked the dishes in the sink.

" _Just put them straight in the dishwasher."_ Amy complained.

" _It's bad for the environment."_ Legolas remarked and turned the tap on.

Amy poked her tongue out at him but he ignored her and turned his back to wash up the dishes.

" _Where can I get myself a man like that?"_ Sighed Katie. _"House trained and drop dead gorgeous."_

" _Hey I am right here!"_ Protested Chris with a scowl on his face.

Amy and Katie could not help but laugh at him as he pouted. "Where is the solidarity huh?" He mumbled at Legolas' back.

"You could always do the drying up?" Legolas offered.

"I think I preferred it before you dropped into our world." Chris grumbled but his smile gave away that he was joking. He joined Legolas by the sink grabbing a dishcloth and asking his friend about what he thought of the Chelsea vs Arsenal game that had taken place down the road at the Emirates Stadium that day.

" _You look happy."_ Katie signed watching as Amy absently rubbed her tummy that now looked as if she had swallowed a football whole.

" _I am."_

Katie smiled. _"A lot of people in this world deserve a little bit of magic in their lives. I am glad you got to be one of the lucky ones."_

" _Thank you."_ She grimaced slightly as the soon arriving life within her kicked out.

" _Can you wait until I am gone, before you go into labour?"_

Amy rolled her eyes. _"I don't think I get much of a say in it."_

" _Do you feel ready?"_

" _To be honest, I am looking forward to not carrying this lump around. I don't think my back can take much more!"_

Katie laughed. _"And Legolas? Is he ready?"_

Amy stared at the back of him as he carried on chatting easily with Chris. His hair was still long but shoved up in a rough bun as was now common for the men of London. Neither of them had the heart to cut it. He was wearing slim black jeans and a white t shirt, two simple items of clothing that he made look like something off of a catwalk.

There had definitely been some changes in him, since becoming human but she could not help but think there was still a lot of elf left there. He may have needed to sleep more and he definitely had to increase the level of exercise he did to ward of the effects of the sweet tooth he had developed, but there was something still tangibly different about him.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, he turned and smiled gently.

His eyes were unchanged. They were old eyes, eyes that had seen more years than she could begin to fathom. Pools of blue that were bottomless in their depths.

When he turned his regard back to the dishes Amy sighed a little.

" _You two make me sick."_ Katie signed before downing the last of her wine.

" _I could always go back to not talking and moping around if you would prefer?"_

Katie smiled. _"As tempting an offer as that is I think I will take the chatty gooey eyed Amy."_

" _Good, because I have something to ask you."_

Katie raised an eyebrow.

"Chris, Legolas and I wanted to ask you and Katie something." Amy spoke catching the guys' attention.

Legolas nodded for Amy to continue.

"We were wondering, if you would agree to being the little one's secondary guardians?" She paused watching their faces. "We aren't going to be christening her or him so there won't be any Godparents per se, but if anything was to happen to us we would want you two to be the ones to take care of them."

"Happen to you? What do you mean?" Chris asked nervously.

"Hopefully nothing is going to happen!" Legolas answered. "But just in case we are in an accident or if Thomas turns up and decides to pull a little stunt again. We just want to be prepared."

Amy noticed that Katie had tears in her eyes. "Katie, what is it?"

"I just….of course, of course we would take care of her. It would be an honour!" She stood up and wrapped her arms tightly around Amy.

" _And here was me thinking you hated babies."_ Amy signed when she was released.

"Well they are gross." Katie said wiping away her tears. "If you could wait to have a tragic accident until she is a little older that would be great."

Legolas could not hide the shock on his face. Chris placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "It takes many years to get used to her sense of humour."

"You keep saying 'she.'" Amy pointed out. "We don't know what we are having."

Katie smiled knowingly. "I just have a feeling."

…...

He still was not quite used to the noise. He could not see the cars but he could hear them buzzing steadily behind the treeline. He supposed he would never quite be used to it. He could live with it though. He looked down and smiled.

Her head was rested on his lap whilst she stretched out on the bench, her legs crossed, along with her brows as she concentrated on the book she was reading.

Legolas ran his fingers through her hair then drew his attention back to Mirima.

She was sat in the sandpit with another child helping them with their sandcastle politely despite the fact that the other child had whacked her with his spade earlier.

She looked up and grinned, pleased that her dad was watching. She gathered up a little handful of sand and pushed herself up with closed fists and ran over to Legolas.

"Do you want a present Daddy?" She smiled offering up her closed fist.

"Well, what could you have there?"

"You have to say yes or no?"

"Hmmmm. Okay yes."

"Hand."

Legolas dutifully held out a hand and was not surprised when a lump of cold, slightly damp sand was deposited in it.

"Hannon le."

"You are welcome." Mirima smiled brightly. She loved it when daddy spoke in their secret language. She toddled off back to the sandpit taking care not to disrupt the now unsteady tower of sand that had been constructed.

When Legolas looked down again he met Amy's storm grey eyes. "You better not throw that at me again?" Her eyes wondered over to the sand he held.

Legolas laughed. "I only threw it at you because you wouldn't let me drive last time."

"I wouldn't let you drive because you have become a bit of a speed freak!"

Legolas could not deny that. As much as he did not like the noise of cars, he was becoming obsessed with driving them at high speeds. He smiled innocently and dropped the sand hoping Mirima would not notice.

Amy was now looking over at their daughter watching as she drew little leaves in the sand with her chubby finger.

"I cannot believe she turns four next week." Amy said wistfully.

"Time is moving too fast."

Amy looked back up at him. _"The lives of humans are short."_ She put her book down resting it on her swollen tummy that now held their second child. She signed the words rather than speak them

" _Too short."_ Legolas returned in sign. _"But long enough to make me truly happy."_ He stroked her hair again trying to ease her worries. He knew she still held a concern that he would regret his choice. He never did though. Not for one moment.

" _I love you."_

" _I love you too."_

Amy lifted her book from her stomach and settled back into reading, getting lost in a new world, only this time with her feet still firmly in her own.

Silence was all she knew. That had not changed. But her life was full and beautiful and happy.

…...

The sun was hot and he was glad that his wide brimmed hat kept the sun from his eyes. He watched as Legolas took a handful of sand from the little girl. He knew instantly that the little girl must be their daughter.

Her eyes were wide and as grey as a storm taking after her mother, whilst her hair flowed long and crystal blond like her father.

Gandalf smiled and looked down at Thomas beside him. "I thank you my friend. It is good to see them happy."

The wizard noted the contented look on Amy's face and the swell of her stomach. He saw the pride and love in Legolas' eyes and heard the joyous laugh of their child. "I will take this happy news back to those that miss them. Perhaps one day they will see them again."

Thomas circled on the spot and let out a small meow.

"Yes, perhaps." Muttered Gandalf to himself.

…..

THE END

A/N: So that is it! I now hand this story fully over to the world of fanfiction and to the readers to imagine all the bits in between and afterwards.

Thank you so much for all your support and for sticking with what turned out to be a much longer story than I had originally anticipated.

Any reviews with questions in I shall do my best to reply to directly over the next week or so.

As a writer I am going to take a little break but I have another story featuring Legolas planned out, although it is very different to this and quite a bit darker! So please watch this space!

All the best,

Libby


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